My contribution to a board
I would bring a habit of examining the commitment behind a financial figure. In a subsidiary, a balance or allocation can be accurate while inviting a decision that overlooks local obligations. In distribution, a new order can make an existing credit problem appear less urgent without changing the earlier debt. I would help directors ask for the bridge between the reported amount and the recommendation, including the uncertainty that management has not resolved. My experience also includes working constructively with a parent finance organisation when local and group priorities differ. I would not arrive with a presumption that every group charge is unfair or every commercial exception is wrong. The contribution is a disciplined way to test the basis, compare alternatives and record the cost of the chosen course. I would need complementary sector, legal and technical expertise around the table, and I would avoid treating a board role as an opportunity to run another company's finance department informally.
My first year on a board
I would begin by reading the company's cash cycle alongside its commercial model. A chair-agreed induction should help me understand who commits the business, who records the commitment and how exceptions reach the board. I would meet finance and commercial leaders together for part of that discussion, because their differing interpretations can be more informative than two polished presentations delivered separately. I would also review the committee remit and the way directors receive advice from the company secretary and external specialists. During the first year, I would concentrate on a few material questions rather than request every schedule familiar from my executive role. These might concern the funding of a growth plan, concentrated customer exposure or the basis of related-company arrangements. I would seek the chair's feedback on whether my questions improved the board's decisions and whether I had stayed within oversight. An effective contribution should help management explain its reasoning, rather than encourage teams to seek an additional operational approval from me.
Conflicts and their management
Kulvani's parent, minority shareholders, distributors and industrial customers form a network of relationships that could overlap with a prospective company. I would disclose relevant connections before discussing a seat in detail and update them when circumstances change. I would not share distributor credit records, parent-service budgets, supplier bank details or unpublished forecasts across organisations. A role in a direct competitor or a material commercial counterparty could limit my contribution too often to be sensible. Employer consent would need to address both the conflict position and the time commitment. The twenty-two-day estimate includes normal preparation and travel, but a demanding transaction or incident could require more. I would discuss that possibility with both organisations rather than assume it can always be absorbed. If the role depended on access to relationships or confidential knowledge from my current employment, I would regard that as a reason to decline it.
My independence statement
An external company would need to assess my employment, investments, personal connections and business relationships before determining independence. I would supply those disclosures for review under section 149(6) and any other applicable requirements, including relevant SEBI LODR provisions. My CFO position and proficiency result do not settle that assessment, and the applicable directorship and committee limits would be checked for the specific role.
Judgement in practice
01Separating affordability from a reassuring balance
Our distribution paper became useful only when ₹23 crore in bank balances was reconciled to ₹14 crore usable cash and then to the next ninety-day commitments. Directors could see why the proposed ₹12 crore payment was not funded on that forecast. On a board, I would ask whether the liquidity discussion identifies restrictions and the timing of obligations clearly enough for the decision being requested. I would also ask what changes if expected collections arrive late. That scrutiny should remain distinct from the legal and accounting assessments of a distribution. My role would be to challenge an incomplete recommendation and ensure the alternatives are understood, while management prepares the evidence and directors decide collectively. I would want the eventual decision record to show the cost to shareholders of waiting as plainly as the risk of proceeding.
02Accepting the supported part of a disputed charge
The parent-service review was not a contest to remove the largest possible amount from India's budget. We accepted ₹6.8 crore in directly attributable services and ₹2.1 crore in shared support, while excluding ₹2.5 crore without a sufficiently supported local basis. I would bring that distinction to a board considering related-company arrangements. Directors need an explanation of the service and the decision process, not merely assurance that a group policy was followed or that a local manager negotiated a reduction. I would ask whether the relevant interests have been disclosed and whether the appropriate contractual, accounting and tax reviews are separate and complete. The board should be able to understand why the company is bearing the cost, without attempting to perform every operational allocation or specialist assessment itself.
Committee contribution
Chair and member readiness| Capacity | Committees |
|---|
| Ready to join | Audit committee where the board's eligibility assessment and remit support the appointment · Risk or finance committee where established |
|---|
Board and committee exposure
Presented to the Board or a committee
Kulvani Industrial Software
Board financial reviews covering liquidity, distributor exposure and group-service budgets
October 2021–present
Presents financial records and recommendations as CFO; directors retain decisions and Nikhil holds neither a directorship nor committee membership.
Capacity and preferences
- Time available
- 22 days per year
- Current directorships
- 0
- Sectors
- Specialist software · Industrial services · Established distribution businesses
- Company type
- An Indian private or listed company with a clear need for subsidiary and commercial-finance oversight
- Company stage
- Professionalisation, ownership transition or stronger oversight of commercial exposure
The seat I am pursuing
I would consider one first non-executive appointment where the board has identified a need for financial scrutiny connected to commercial operations. An audit, risk or finance committee contribution may be appropriate if the company's assessment supports it, but I am not offering to chair immediately. My executive finance experience is substantial; my directorship experience is not yet established. The May 2026 proficiency result is part of preparation and should not be presented as a substitute for the company's review of eligibility, independence and fit. I would prefer an organisation with a functioning management team, access to reliable records and a chair who expects directors to challenge constructively. A vacancy created mainly to provide another signatory or to obtain informal CFO services would not match the role I am preparing for. The commitment must fit the agreed calendar and preserve my ability to contribute fully to both organisations.
Governance learning and readiness
IICA Independent Directors’ Databank: Proficiency assessment passed
Registered in the IICA independent directors databank in November 2025 and passed the proficiency assessment in May 2026. These are invented preparation facts for this demonstration profile, distinct from a company's assessment of appointment eligibility and fit.
- Databank learning and preparation leading to the May 2026 proficiency result
- Study of committee responsibilities beyond the CFO's executive reporting role
- Practice reviewing board papers from the perspective of collective oversight