Meet Mahrukh Umrigar, a dynamic legal professional and the co-founding partner of Consortia Legal, an independent boutique law firm specializing solely in Indian law. Prior to founding Consortia Legal, Mahrukh worked with a renowned Indian law firm, where she led its global mobility practice. Mahrukh is recognized for providing concise and practical solutions to her clients and business contacts in a timely and cost-effective manner.
One of Mahrukh’s most impressive areas of expertise lies in Indian immigration. She regularly services global multinationals, international relocation companies, accounting practices, law firms, and other service providers in their Indian immigration and mobility requirements. She offers a range of services from strategy advice to assistance in availing appropriate visas to post-arrival compliances in India.
Beyond her legal prowess, Mahrukh is a sought-after speaker at seminars and conferences, where she shares valuable insights on various Indian legal and regulatory matters. She also conducts global workshops for her clients and business contacts on numerous aspects of Indian immigration rules and regulations, employment and labor laws, and HR best practices.
Nurturing Future Leaders
For Mahrukh, leadership is not only about commanding from the top; instead, it’s about nurturing one’s talents and capabilities and guiding people at their own pace. She considers herself incredibly fortunate to have a mentor who has not only become her business partner but an integral part of her family. With unwavering patience, her mentor took the time to guide her meticulously, step by step, day by day, over many years.
For Mahrukh, the essence of effective leadership extends beyond the confines of the workplace. She firmly believes being supportive is the most important aspect of leadership, transcending personal and professional life boundaries. Whether in times of celebration or during challenging moments, Mahrukh emphasizes the importance of always being there for others, lending a sympathetic ear, and, most importantly, being genuine in all interactions.
“A key component of being a good leader is the constant need to learn, evolve, and be approachable. This includes both learning from peers as well as younger members of the team, as everyone has something to offer. The biggest leadership mistake is thinking you know it all,”– she explains.
Building a Healthy Work Environment
Mahrukh feels maintaining a healthy and inclusive work environment and a work-life balance is a key feature in retaining quality team members. Although some people will always be motivated by money, patience is necessary to enable a person to flourish properly.
At Consortia Legal, Mahrukh likes to encourage her team to come forward with ideas or suggestions, be it for work-related matters or administrative and logistical issues. She firmly believes in offering autonomy, space, and support for team members to discover their potential and grow with the firm.
Fostering Diversity, Equity, and Innovation
Under Mahrukh and her partners’, Jehaan and Satyendra’s visionary leadership, Consortia Legal is steadfastly committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Despite being a corporate boutique in its infancy, Consortia’s team represents diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity.
In an era where diversity and inclusion have become paramount in the professional world, Consortia Legal stands out as a firm that recognizes the inherent value of different perspectives and backgrounds. It believes embracing diversity fuels creativity and innovation, which is essential in today’s dynamic business landscape.
Managing Work-Life Balance
For Mahrukh, maintaining a proper work-life balance has been exceptionally challenging as she had to navigate the complex process of establishing her firm alongside her trusted partners while simultaneously embracing the role of a first-time mom.
“2021 was my year of two births. It has been hard but not impossible. It might sound cliché, but where there is a will, there is a way. Organization and forward planning (as much as possible with a newborn, who is now a toddler) have been key in managing the work-life balance these past two years. Not to forget, having a supportive family structure and the best business partners and team (who are like family) have immensely helped me along the way,“- she explains.
Growing Consortia Legal
As India continues to shine in the global economy, its legal landscape is poised for a transformation. So, Mahrukh and her partners aim to nurture Consortia Legal into a truly unique Indian law firm and expand its operations across multiple Indian cities.
“Whilst we hope to expand our operations across various cities in India, our focus to actively promote inclusivity and fairness while building on our principles of partnership, association, collaboration, and trust remain at the forefront of our endeavors,”– she says.
Future Roadmap
Mahrukh’s focus for the next five years is to grow as a person and professional. From a professional perspective, she aims to expand her practice, grow her team, and be a better version of herself daily. She doesn’t expect miracles overnight but small, steady steps along the way. Personally, Mahrukh hopes to achieve more self-awareness, better time management, and, most importantly, to ensure that her team, family, and she are happy.
Suggestions for Women Leaders in Business
Mahrukh suggests that women business leaders should never give up and be disheartened by the voices. There will be times when it might feel like a lost case; there will be days when they might feel it is not worth it and it is too hard. However, irrespective of all these challenges, they should take small steps, take deep breaths, and tackle one day at a time.
“Do not be afraid to venture into the unknown or out of your comfort zone. Being an entrepreneur and starting our firm with my trusted partners has been the best decision of my professional life by far. There will be a million naysayers, but remember, they are the ones who do not want you to prosper because it isn’t in their best interest. Trust your instincts and never be afraid to be authentic,“- she concludes.