Five major consultancy firms, namely PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, Ernst & Young Global Limited, KPMG International Limited, and McKinsey & Company, secured assignments totaling nearly ₹500 crore from the Central Government.
As reported by The Indian Express, these leading consultancy firms were awarded a total of 308 assignments by various government departments, 16 ministries, and organizations from April 2017 to June 2022.
The Central government departments and ministries that sought the expertise of these global consultants include Petroleum and Natural Gas, Rural Development, Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Coal, Electronics and Information Technology, Health and Family Welfare, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Defence, Civil Aviation, Public Enterprises, Non-conventional Energy Resources, Power, Road Transport and Highways, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Tourism, according to the report.
These assignments encompassed a range of services, including “hiring technical consultants,” “financial due diligence,” “evaluation of nominations for e-governance awards,” and “retainer for advisory service,” among others.
Among the big five consultancy firms, PwC secured the highest number of projects with the Modi government. The Indian Express report revealed that PwC led 92 contracts, totaling over ₹156 crore between 2017 and 2022. Deloitte was involved in 59 assignments worth more than ₹130.13 crore.
Earnest & Young (E&Y) secured 87 contracts amounting to ₹88.05 crore, while KPMG was awarded 66 contracts worth ₹68.46 crore, and McKinsey received three contracts totaling ₹50.09 crore.
The report also mentioned that the petroleum sector held the highest-value assignments, totaling over ₹170 crore, followed by the power sector, with the power ministry outsourcing assignments worth ₹166.41 crore between 2017 and 2022.
The Ministry of Tourism entrusted work valued at a minimum of ₹18 crore to E&Y, while the NITI Aayog outsourced seven assignments worth ₹17.43 crore during 2019-2021 for the “evaluation of centrally sponsored schemes,” according to the daily report.
