In this interview, Rajesh Kumar, Senior Correspondent, speaks with Atindra Basu, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, Greaves Cotton, whose dual role places him at the intersection of governance, strategy, and business reinvention. In this candid conversation, he reflects on the evolution of the legal function into a strategic pillar, the career moments that shaped his philosophy, the balance between ambition and accountability, and the changing nature of in-house leadership in a technology-driven, ESG-conscious era.
Greaves Cotton is a century old brand undergoing a transformation into a clean mobility and energy solutions company. How did the legal function evolve to support this strategic shift?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Greaves Cotton has transformed from a single product focused company to a trusted, future-ready, diversified engineering company, creating long-term value across stakeholders.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]The organisation required the legal function to evolve from a transactional enabler into a strategic partner. We re-architected the function around three pillars — business enablement, governance resilience, and risk intelligence. This meant designing legal frameworks that could support new-age businesses such as EV mobility, retail, and financial services, while still safeguarding the legacy business. We moved from reactive contracting to proactive structuring, integrated compliance analytics, strengthened board-level governance under SEBI LODR, and embedded risk-based legal advisory into every new venture — from EV 2 W , EV 3 W to digital financing. In essence, the legal function became the “architecture of trust” for Greaves’ transformation journey.
What do you consider the biggest inflection point in your career that shaped you as a General Counsel?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]The most defining inflection point came when I transitioned from being a functional legal expert to a strategic business partner. Earlier in my career, leading cross-border M&A and integration projects at global pharmaceutical companies gave me insight into how law operates as a value enabler, and not just a safeguard. But the true shift happened at Greaves, where I had to align corporate governance, capital structuring, and business transformation within an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Managing board dynamics, investor covenants, and multi-entity transactions during the group’s transition, especially in the clean mobility and engineering verticals, crystallized my belief that a General Counsel must combine legal precision with commercial empathy.
As both Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, you wear dual hats: strategic advisor and compliance guardian. How do you reconcile these roles when they sometimes pull in different directions?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Wearing the dual hats of Group General Counsel and Company Secretary often means walking a fine line between facilitating ambition and upholding accountability. The key is to maintain a “constructive tension” between the two roles, ensuring that governance principles guide strategic decisions without stifling innovation. I view these functions as complementary lenses: the GC lens focuses on opportunity, the CS lens on stewardship. Together, they create balanced decision-making. When dilemmas arise, I anchor decisions on purpose — “what outcome best aligns with the company’s values, long-term integrity, reputation, and stakeholder trust?” That clarity usually reconciles the two directions.
In your experience, what makes for a strong governance culture: rules, people, or tone from the top?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]While rules create structure, and people bring intent, it is the tone from the top that sets the rhythm. Governance thrives when leadership visibly models transparency, curiosity, and accountability. At Greaves, the emphasis on value based leadership has cascaded across the group. We’ve built frameworks — like structured board evaluations, ESG-linked oversight, and cross-entity risk committees — but what sustains them is a culture where speaking up is valued and governance is seen as collective responsibility, not compliance overhead.
You’ve witnessed the in-house legal role evolve dramatically over two decades. What’s the most striking change you’ve seen?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Two decades ago, in-house legal teams were often perceived as “gatekeepers.” Today, they’re strategic architects of value and risk. The most striking change is the integration of legal, risk, ESG, and governance intelligence into business strategy.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Technology has accelerated this — contract lifecycle tools, data-driven compliance dashboards, and AI-assisted risk modelling now allow lawyers to predict rather than merely protect. The modern GC is no longer a custodian of law but a partner in transformation — helping shape sustainable growth, not just ensuring it’s lawful.
What qualities do you look for when hiring or mentoring young in-house lawyers?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]I look for curiosity, courage, and commercial context. Curiosity to understand business models, not just laws. Courage to ask difficult questions and offer honest advice. And the ability to contextualize, to see how legal issues tie into finance, brand, and reputation.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Technical excellence is a given; what differentiates a great in-house lawyer is judgment, knowing when to say “no,” and more importantly, how to say “yes, if…” in a way that advances business responsibly. I encourage my mentees to develop empathy because effective legal advice is as much about understanding people as it is about interpreting statutes.
After two decades of navigating corporate legal landscapes, what keeps you inspired every day?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]What keeps me inspired is the opportunity to build institutions of trust. Every day, the legal function has the privilege of shaping how a company behaves — in the market, before regulators, and within its own ecosystem.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Seeing that impact, from a governance culture deepening to a young lawyer finding their voice, or a new venture being de-risked through foresight, is deeply fulfilling. To me, law has always been a human science and using it to drive purposeful transformation is what keeps me motivated. |
