Rajiv Luthra (Founder & Managing Partner, Luthra & Luthra Law offices) chats with us about his remarkable career

The winds of liberalization brought with it opportunities aplenty for you as India Inc. started to take flight. Talk us through Luthra & Luthra's Growth story.

As the Founder and Managing Partner of Luthra & Luthra Law Offices, one of India's largest and most reputed full service corporate law firm, I have had a ringside seat to India's economic liberalisation story. This is particularly true in my case because I founded the Firm in 1990, when India was on the cusp of economic liberalisation, and I cut my teeth as a corporate lawyer advising foreign companies, big and small, as they navigated the Indian regulatory landscape post 991. We started out with a pioneering vision to focus on the needs of multinational corporate clients who were beginning to enter India just as the winds of economic liberalisation were beginning to blow. We aimed to offer them the style and quality of service they were accustomed to in other jurisdiction, and became trusted and advisers to them as they navigated the complex regulatory waters here. This formed the bedrock of the Firm, and since then our growth has largely tracked that of the Indian economy, which has grown exponentially since 1991.

It's fair to say that you're quite the legend in corporate law circles what would you say was the most memorable lie piece of work you did?

One of the major destinations the foreign investment, particularly in the initial years, was been the power sector. The early investments in the sector encountered unique issues. The concept of Public- Private- Partnership in India was forged during this p[eriod, and my firm had the privellage of working with the Planning Commission of India in drafting the model agreements which would form the basis of the PPP model, giving me deep perspective on the process. We went on to advise on a number of major infrastructure projects which utilized the PPP model, including the Noida Toll Bridge and the Sasan UMPP, which was India's largest power project at the time. The work on the PPP model was immensely satisfying, because it formed the basis of the infrastructure boom that powered a lot of the growth we have seen in the past decades.

Lastly, what advice would you give to a budding legal eagle or entrepreneur?

The key to success is to build and retain trust. Everything else is secondary, and flows from this. It goes without saying that you must be a top-notch lawyer and surround yourself with the best talent. But talent, and clients, gravitates towards lasting institutions. This also means that it is important to build respect for rules and processes early on in the life of the organization. Finally, believe in the India growth story, and think of the long term. There is no doubt that India will continue to grow for the foreseeable future at a faster rate than any other major economy. This will bring with it huge opportunity, and you need to be able to spot trends before they become trends and capitalize on them, If you are able to do these things, there is very little that can separate you from success.

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