Kashi Nath Memani (1938-2026): The Soul of EY India

It was in 1914 that Sorabji R. Batliboi set up the first office for EY [then Ernst & Young] in India at Bowbazar Street in Kolkata [formerly Calcutta], which was then India’s financial capital. In 1930-31, Batliboi inducted Victor F. Viccajee and Minu Davar as partners. But the rise of Naxalite movement and trade unions in Kolkata prompted businesses to move out of the city, which also meant ancillary services had to follow their clients.

Delhi was the next destination, and the task of anchoring the firm in the capital was assigned to Kashi Nath Memani.

Memani had joined the firm in 1959, in the first year of graduation. Driven by the zeal to go beyond the ordinary and pursue chartered accountancy (CA) prompted a referral to the firm by his friend’s brother. Memani, who hailed from Dhulian, a small town 286 kms from Kolkata, was raring to go, in part owing to a reversal of fortunes in his family’s business. That hunger showed up in the trajectory that followed: Memani passed the CA intermediate exam in his first attempt, qualified in 1965 and became a partner three years later.

It was in 1970 that Memani steered EY’s entry into the national capital. But as with any new market, business was hard to come by. “I was in a dilemma, there wasn’t much of an industry in Delhi and business was slow and on the other hand, our partners in Kolkata were keen to welcome me back, though they left it to me to take a call,” Memani recalled in an interview several decades later. But rather than take the easy way out, he chose to stay put for a year or two, aided by the fact that his family felt at home in the new city.

Having established a footprint in Delhi, Memani sensed the next big opportunity in India’s IT boom, leading the way for EY’s entry in Bengaluru (then Bangalore). Mumbai [then Bombay] came next, under Nawshir Mirza, who had joined the firm in Kolkata and moved after becoming a partner. In the ensuing years the firm only grew in strength, eventually paving the way for Memani to take over as the chairman and country managing partner in 1996. The eventual merger of Arthur Andersen's Indian operations in 2002, strengthened the firm’s presence further.

After Memani stepped down in 2004, his son, Rajiv, who now heads the India firm, only fortified the foundation of a strong accounting and audit franchise. EY completed 100 years in 2014 and today has a strong presence in 16 cities across the country.

Memani counted Vispi Davar, Jal Master and A C Chakrabortti among those who profoundly influenced him during his tenure. “Each of them, although with distinctive work styles of their own, had aspects in common, including an uncompromising attitude toward integrity and honesty, being sensitive to clients’ needs and focusing on a hard work ethic,” recalled Memani in an interview.

But it wasn’t just numbers that captivated the elder Memani.

While his influence in industry and business endured, his passion for poetry and literature resulted in the launch of “Parampara,” an annual forum held every August. In the initial two consecutive years, the session was hosted by former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at his official residence, lending the event a national stature.

Poetry and numbers make strange bedfellows, yet Mr. Memani did justice to both: a measure of his zeal for excellence in every sphere of life. His passing brings the curtains down on one of the most important chapters in India’s accounting and auditing history. That EY remains the partner of choice for India Inc is the ultimate tribute to a man who took the road less travelled, which, in the end, has made all the difference.