In an increasingly complex cross-border regulatory environment, clarity is often the most valuable form of expertise. For Isha Sekhri, Chartered Accountant and Partner at Ajay Sekhri & Company, the journey into international taxation and regulatory advisory was not planned. As she describes it, she “kept saying no to what did not feel right until what remained was exactly where I belonged.” She began her career at Ernst & Young in 2009, where cross-border exposure came early through income-tax advisory across jurisdictions. The experience set a standard, not explained but lived, where excellence was not a goal but a baseline.

It was during her time in her father’s practice that her direction became clearer. Traditional work did not offer the value addition she was looking for, while clients were dealing with complex realities, family trusts, cross-border structures, and regulatory questions with no clear answers. She found herself drawn to these problems, working across areas until international taxation and FEMA became the natural centre of gravity, where the most complex issues kept landing.

Clarity Over Complexity

A defining aspect of her approach is a rejection of unnecessary complexity. Isha believes the most persistent challenges in cross-border taxation are not technical but misinformation and an obsession with complexity. Clients often come with predetermined structures, but her approach is to return to first principles, understand what the client actually needs and build from there. More often than not, the most effective solution is also the most direct.

Her perspective extends to FEMA, a law she believes is often misunderstood. The complexity lies not in the law itself, but in the approach people bring to it. Businesses often try to make the law fit their facts, whereas the facts must align with the law in substance. Her approach is grounded in clear principles: what cannot be done directly should not be done indirectly, and solutions must hold beyond documentation.

Outcome-Driven Advisory

Isha’s work spans FEMA and cross-border regulatory advisory, international taxation, transfer pricing, and transaction advisory. She works across inbound and outbound structures, advising startups, multinational corporations, listed entities, and high-net-worth individuals. The common thread is not size but the need for clients who require thinking, not just processing.

Every engagement is designed to end with a clear, actionable path forward, not just an opinion. She does not limit herself to the question asked, often identifying gaps or risks beyond the immediate scope. Underlying this is a strong sense of empathy, recognising that clients often carry unresolved issues for years and that solving them requires urgency and care.

She also sees international taxation becoming increasingly globalised, with transfer pricing expanding beyond large corporations and substance becoming non-negotiable, as India’s regulatory direction aligns more closely with global capital flows.

Leadership Mantra

As a founder and leader, her approach continues to evolve through experience. She emphasises independence and responsibility within her team, allowing space for mistakes while maintaining a consistent standard. As she puts it, “Leadership is learned in the room, not the classroom. Be kind, be present, and hold a standard.”

Advising young professionals, Isha shares, “Stay curious, read the actual law rather than summaries, and dream bigger than your environment tells you to. The quality of your thinking earns the work – not the size of the firm behind you. Equally important is the ability to listen and build relationships, not transactions.”