A qualified chartered accountant and a rank holder, Urmi had always wanted to start her own venture. But setting up an independent CA practice was not on her mind. “During my articleship, I realised that independent practice typically entails bribing and corruption, which was not my cup of tea. I wanted something cleaner,” says Urmi.

Her 20 year stint in the corporate world and financial industry gave her valuable exposure across surveillance, internal audit, compliance, hedge fund administration and financial reporting. Thanks to her academic brilliance and an analytical mind, Urmi aced at her responsibilities across all jobs. This gave her the confidence that she could do something of her own accord.

As Urmi was contemplating various business options, her husband, a music composer by profession and a former musician in Bollywood, advised her to consider a line that would allow her to leverage her expertise instead of learning something from scratch.

It was then that Urmi realised, her core-competency was PROBLEM-SOLVING. This helped her narrow down to one option -- that of a consultant.

In December 2019, Urmi founded UBM Management Consultancy, a consultancy firm offering growth-driven strategic consultancy and digital transformation services.

Urmi says building a professional network, starting a side hustle to cushion the financial impact, and maintaining an emergency fund for the 'rainy day' are fundamental to a successful career transition.

“The feeling of starting something that you can call your own cannot be compared with a 9-5 job. You sow the seeds, and the rewards are for you to keep. The initial years can be challenging but long term benefits far outweigh the struggle." Urmi says.