Yantra’s Growth Story is About Curiosity, Resilience, and Understanding Market Challenges

Riveron, a business advisory firm acquired Yantra, a leading provider of business consulting and technology in July 24. Yantra specializes in NetSuite, Oracle, Salesforce, Data Science & Advanced Analytics, Integration Platforms, Business Transformation, AI & RPA, and Managed Services. Riveron is one of the largest NetSuite Alliance Partners globally, offering clients holistic solutions to enhance value. Yantra also brings significant expertise in data science and analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and platform integrations.

In an exclusive interview with CIOL, Vikram Bhandari, CTIO at Yantra – A Riveron Company speaks about Yantra’s growth story. With over 25 years of experience in professional consulting and entrepreneurship, Vikram was the founder and CEO of Yantra, before Riveron acquired the company. He now serves as Riveron’s CTIO, responsible for creating, designing, and implementing meaningfully differentiated products to clients. Vikram is a Board Member and Advisor to some of the most dynamic and admired companies across the globe. 

Yantra secured significant growth under your leadership. Can you tell us about the core principles that shaped your strategies and guided you to scale up and make a mark in the industry and what challenges and learnings you gained in that journey of being an entrepreneur?

Yantra’s growth story is about curiosity, resilience, and understanding market challenges. Early on, we noticed a common thread: Businesses had similar core issues, regardless of industry. Realizing that drove my entrepreneurial journey. But rather than viewing these challenges as roadblocks, I saw them as opportunities for innovation and problem-solving.

A commitment to constant innovation is also part of our DNA. In today’s fast-paced world, that means being agile, adaptable, and willing to evolve and exceed clients’ technology and business enablement needs. And finally, we prioritized strong, strategic relationships—with clients, partners, and employees. Building trust and collaboration was key to sustaining growth and impact.

The journey wasn’t without hurdles, like scaling without compromising our strong service quality. Managing resources, making the right hires, and staying true to our vision during rapid growth demanded adaptability and focus.

Persistence and resilience are key pillars of our story. Entrepreneurship is not a straight line—it’s filled with bumps, detours, and unexpected turns. But by focusing on solving real-world problems, remaining curious, and continuously evolving our approach, we built a business that grew and made a meaningful impact. This mindset continues to guide me as I look to the future of business and technology advisory services.

How does transitioning from founder and CEO of Yantra to the CTIO role at Riveron feel? How are you applying your expertise at Riveron and what are some of the new perspectives you are exposed to now?

The transition from founder CEO to CTIO is transformative. Obviously as CEO, you are the ultimate decision-maker. I’m now part of a larger leadership team, collaborating every day with brilliant leaders.

While it marks a shift in many ways, I’m excited to use my entrepreneurial background to build a new vertical at Riveron. I’ll draw on that experience to not only lead transformation initiatives, but also to build truly differentiated offerings and meaningful solutions for our clients. I’m also energized by the opportunity to bring our expertise to a broader market given Riveron’s focus on private equity portfolio companies. Overall, I want to help position Riveron as the first call CFOs make when they need help.

You have evangelized about your intent and significance in integrating AI into financial operations, especially for CFOs. How do you see AI reshaping the finance industry?

AI is the next major wave of innovation. It can revolutionize business operations by providing unprecedented efficiencies. Today, the total addressable AI market is approximately $185 billion and is planned to grow to $1 trillion over the next five years. Financial and technology operations will rapidly change the way our clients do business both externally and with their customers.

Riveron and our clients have palpable energy and excitement around AI initiatives. About three of every four CFOs I work with view AI as a reality and want to engage with it. The desire for AI-driven solutions is real, and we’re dedicated to educating them on AI’s potential to help make their organizations more efficient.

Many CFOs feel that most advancements have focused on marketing and customer service, leaving the financial sector largely untapped. This is primarily due to significant data security challenges, as finance departments are particularly sensitive about protecting their data—for good reason. With this in mind, we aim to develop solutions specifically tailored to provide enhanced intelligence and drive efficiencies without sacrificing security. By addressing CFOs’ unique needs and concerns, we can facilitate a meaningful adoption of AI in finance.

Could you share your vision for Riveron’s growth in new markets like India and the key factors you think will define success here – Is it going to be the next growth orbit, if so what are the focus areas?

We’re poised for exponential growth in India. With a Centre of Excellence already in Pune, we plan to establish centres of excellence supporting clients in the Americas across other service offerings like accounting, M&A, tax advisory, and more. While our strategy for all Riveron solutions is still evolving, technology enablement will remain a cornerstone of our expansion in India. It’s our largest segment in the region and is primed for even greater growth.

As India undergoes rapid digital transformation, our focus on technology-driven solutions—such as ERP implementation, digital finance transformation, and AI-powered decision-making tools—will position Riveron as a leader in the space.

How do you foresee the evolution of technology-driven advisory services and what role will Riveron play in setting industry standards?

Technology is reshaping the consulting landscape in profound ways. AI, integrated digital ecosystems, and ESG are changing the game, and we hope to play a pivotal role in the industry’s continued evolution.

Innovation, thought leadership, staying curious and resilient and above all, understanding business needs will help us keep delivering measurable value and impact for our clients. Riveron’s focus on client success remains a driving force behind our growth and industry leadership.