Michelin’s zonal legal head in India, Nandita Khurana, is moving on to set up an independent practice after a more than decade-long career with the tyre giant.
After working at Michelin for more than 14 years with regional and multijurisdictional responsibilities, “I am looking forward to sharing my expertise in legal and public affairs with companies, as an independent director as well as a consultant and adviser”, she told India Business Law Journal.
As she embarks on her new professional journey, there are some values she will always hold dear: “Personal and professional ethics and integrity are part of who I am, and I cannot compromise under any circumstances.”
Khurana established a succession planning blueprint and ethical standards for Michelin in India and felt that the general counsel’s role is a multi-fold and challenging one, encompassing all aspects of business, including risk identification and management, board management, mentorship, and sitting in on business decisions.
“I want to give back to society all that I have learnt in my 35 years of experience,” she added.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree (honours) and a law degree from University of Delhi in 1987, Khurana began her legal career at the Supreme Court of India with a state standing counsel, and then with noted lawyer-duo, Rani Jethmalani and Ram Jethmalani.
This position enabled her to practise criminal and civil law in various courts and to hone her legal skills, she said.
In 1994, Khurana began working with law firms that dealt with cross-border transactions, foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions, and the like as India’s economic liberalisation began.
During that stint, she handled multiple countries with myriad issues, while the management of cross-border matters was one area she particularly enjoyed, she said.
In 2008, she joined Michelin Tyres as a general counsel for India. In addition to looking after India, she oversaw Australia while based in Singapore. She returned to India to head the company’s legal department along with the responsibilities of handling Michelin’s legal and regulatory affairs in Africa and the Middle East.
