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Nilaya Varma

Nilaya Varma is the Co-founder and currently the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Primus Partners, a global management consulting firm headquartered in India. He is an Indian management consultant, entrepreneur, and a trusted public policy advisor. Over the course of his close to three-decade experience, he has worked with federal and regional governments, as well as multilateral development banks and philanthropy in more than 30 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and Central America.[1]

His professional journey is marked by significant contributions to public policy implementation, investment promotion, digital transformation, and e-Government procurement. Varma is recognized as a thought leader in economic advisory, public sector consulting and digital transformation across sectors including health. He has led teams of more than 1000 consultants and delivered projects successfully across sectors. As the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Primus Partners, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s strategic direction and expanding its global footprint, overseeing its operations across India, UAE, KSA and USA.[1]

Early Life and Education

Nilaya Varma was born in January, 1972 in Allahabad (Now Prayagraj) in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India. His early years were spent in Allahabad, a city known for culture and education and the birthplace of all early Prime Ministers of the country. Varma is an alumnus of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), New Delhi, where he completed his Bachelor’s in Information Technology in 1993 and received a council prize. He furthered his education at the Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon, earning a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) with a specialization in Finance and Marketing.[1] 

Career

Nilaya embarked on his consulting career in India and has worked with some of the world’s leading consulting firms. His consulting work started in 1998 following a two-year stint as Manager at IFCI, Regional Office in Chandigarh, where he joined after completing his PGDM. IFCI is India’s 1st Development Financial Institution.

His early consulting career was with Price Waterhouse (subsequently PwC post the merger with Coopers and Lybrand), starting in 1998, where he held various positions from 1998 to 2003 and later from 2004 to 2010, serving as Consultant Principal Consultant and getting promoted to Partner.[2] Nilaya briefly worked at Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu, New Delhi as the Manager from 2003 to 2004.[2]

From 2011 to 2014, he served as Managing Director and lead for Health and Public Service (Consulting) at Accenture Consulting. During his tenure at Accenture, Varma emphasized the importance of being able to navigate ambiguity and effectively manage people for professional success. He also expressed his leadership philosophy, advocating for delegation paired with accountability.[3]

Later, from 2014 to 2019, Nilaya, as a senior leader at KPMG being the National head for the Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare (IGH) practice and then the National Head for Markets at KPMG Advisory Services Pvt. Ltd.[4][2] At KPMG, he not only created one of the largest public sector practices in the country, in his role as the head for Markets, he was instrumental in driving sales, business development, and communications, and spearheaded strategic initiatives such as the Platinum Account Programme.[4] His contributions at KPMG also involved shaping go-to-market strategies and promoting cross-functional collaboration. Notably, Varma played a significant role in expanding the firm's Government Advisory/IGH practice.[4]

Throughout his career in these organizations, Varma has demonstrated his ability to lead large teams, with a track record of managing teams of over 1,000 professionals and implementing transformational programs focused on governance, infrastructure, procurement, and service delivery.

Primus Partners  

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for homegrown Indian consulting firms to come up and compete with the global giants,[5] in 2019-20, Varma led the formation of Primus Partners, a full-service Indian management consulting firm with a strong emphasis on idea realisation – an approach that seeds ideas but also helps client implement those. The firm drives this approach under the tagline “solutions for tomorrow”.  He served as the firm’s CEO for India operations till March 2025. In April 2025, he transitioned to the role of Group CEO. Under his leadership, the firm has expanded its operations both in India and internationally.[1]

His work at Primus Partners includes directing initiatives in key areas such as health systems strengthening, digital economy infrastructure, e-Government procurement, and startup ecosystem development. His strategic vision is centred on assisting clients in navigating India's intricate business landscape.[6]

Varma has also spearheaded the firm's global expansion, including the establishment of a presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates,[7] and the United States of America,[8] helping the firm extend its reach and impact. In addition to his role as Group CEO, Varma leads the firm's Public Policy Realization practice and serves on its Board of Directors.[1]  

Thought Leadership and Public Policy

Nilaya Varma is recognized as a thought leader in public sector. He has worked with both state and national governments in India on public policy issues, particularly in areas related to technology and health. His consulting engagements have included contributions to government initiatives such as the Swachh Bharat Mission and Smart Cities programme, which are the government’s priority programmes.[9]

Varma’s areas of consulting work have included public policy design and implementation, investment facilitation, digital transformation, and e-Government. He has also worked on issues related to smart cities, health systems, labour and employment policy, and public finance.[9]

Nilaya writes extensively on topics such as digital governance, innovation in the public sector, and investment strategy. His articles and commentary appear regularly in Indian media and policy publications.[10] He has also participated in policy forums and discussions organized by government ministries and international agencies.

In very recent times, Varma has been involved in authoring or leading thought leadership publications such as India’s Turn to Lead by 2047,[11] Overcoming India’s Skills Challenge,[12] and Supply Chains in India: A Reality Check.[13] A report he led at Primus Partners, Data and Technology to Drive Liveable Cities, was done with the National Institute of Urban Affairs.[14][4] He also contributes to Primus Partners’ annual budget analysis[15][16] and his opinions are reported in the media.[17] Varma has participated in forums and conferences related to governance and policy.[6] He was a speaker at the 4th Edition of the MSME India Business Convention 2024.[18] He contributed to the NITI Aayog's National Workshop on “Improving the Innovation Aptitude and the Performance of the States and the Union Territories”[19] and was a panelist at the Asian Development Bank’s Digital Development Forum 2019 in Manila.[20]

Values and Beliefs

Varma's values diverse opinions and encourages young professionals to become leaders which was highlighted when, in August 2023, Primus Partners welcomed Juhi Talwar as the first Gen Z member of its board, a move that underscores the firm's commitment to incorporating diverse perspectives into its strategic decision-making.[21] In interviews, Varma has described his leadership approach as one that emphasizes delegation paired with accountability. He has expressed the view that leaders should retain ultimate responsibility for outcomes while creating opportunities for team members to take initiative.[22] Varma has also stated that he supports a flexible and informal work culture. He has mentioned organizing off-site retreats and team gatherings as part of his management approach.[23]

In addition to his role at Primus Partners, Varma is empanelled as an angel investor with the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, further demonstrating his commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. He was named among AsiaOne’s India’s Greatest Leaders 2019-2020 Award.[24]

International Work

Varma's consulting experience spans over 30 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. He has collaborated with esteemed international institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, USAID, and DFID, focusing on initiatives related to digital transformation, procurement reforms, governance modernization, and capacity building. His notable international engagements include leading ADB assignments for the design and implementation of e-Government procurement systems in Nepal, India, and the Maldives. Furthermore, he has served as Team Leader for ICT and Procurement reform projects in countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Bhutan.[1]  

Personal Life

Nilaya Varma is married to Ruchira Varma, a batchmate from MDI who is an educationist and founded the iBambini Preschool in 2003.[25] He has two daughters and currently resides in Gurugram, India. His personal interests include travel and reading. Varma credits his international exposure for his understanding of diverse cultural contexts, which is invaluable in his work in consulting.  

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Nilaya Varma (in en). Primus Partners. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Nilaya Varma, Linkedin, accessed athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nilayavarma/
  3. ↑ Accenture’s Govt vertical head Nilaya Varma resigns (in en). BusinessLine (2014-07-18). Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Nilaya Varma Quits KPMG (in en). BW Businessworld. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  5. ↑ www.ETGovernment.com. PM Modi’s ‘big eight’ dream not far as Indian firms keep global giants on toes - ET Government (in en). ETGovernment.com. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Nilaya Varma. Indian Speaker Bureau. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  7. ↑ Staff, Entrepreneur. Primus Partners Expands Global Footprint with New UAE Office (in en). Entrepreneur (2024-09-02). Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  8. ↑ Primus Partners Expands Globally, Appoints Vinay Singh As MD In US (in en). BW Businessworld. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 No Title. timesascent.com. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  10. ↑ "G20 nations close to sealing digital public infrastructure, debt, multilateral development banks, crypto pacts" (in en-us). Hindustan Times. 2023-09-07. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/g20-nations-close-to-sealing-dpi-debt-mdb-crypto-pacts-101694026150263.html. Retrieved 2025-07-10. 
  11. ↑ India's Turn to Lead by 2047, Primus Partners, accessed athttps://primuspartners.in/docs/documents/yYo8lCuXK7n13xxElnay.pdf
  12. ↑ Overcoming India’s Skills Challenge, Accenture, accessed at https://www.skillsforemployment.org/sites/default/files/2024-01/wcmstest4_128452.pdf
  13. ↑ Supply Chains in India: A Reality Check, KPMG, accessed athttps://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/in/pdf/2018/11/Indian-Supply-Chains-A-Reality-Check.pdf
  14. ↑ Data and Technology to Drive Liveable Cities, Primus Partners, accessed athttps://primuspartners.in/docs/documents/PUfhXRhrAbNarQzdSl2W.pdf
  15. ↑ Union Budget Analysis 2025, Primus Partners, accessed at https://primuspartners.in/docs/documents/Union%20Budget%202025-26%20Primus%20Partners%E2%80%99%20Key%20Insights_.pdf
  16. ↑ Union Budget Analysis 2023, Primus Partners, accessed at https://primuspartners.in/docs/documents/SwBPViUUhIy7s2tBra7R.pdf
  17. ↑ Budget 2025 expectations in a protectionist world (in en). www.forbesindia.com. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  18. ↑ NILAYA VARMA - MSME (in en-US) (2024-06-25). Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  19. ↑ “Improving the Innovation Aptitude and the Performance of the States and the Union Territories”, NITI Aayog, accessed at: https://www.nitiforstates.gov.in/public-assets/workshop_assets/workshop_on_innovation.pdf
  20. ↑ Digital Development Forum, Asian Development Bank, accessed athttps://events.development.asia/sites/default/files/course/2019/PANELIST%20AND%20MODERATOS%20%5B2%5D%20%281%29.pdf
  21. ↑ Primus Partners Welcomes Juhi Talwar as Maiden Gen Z to its Board, Business Standard, accessed at https://www.business-standard.com/content/press-releases-ani/primus-partners-welcomes-juhi-talwar-as-maiden-gen-z-to-its-board-123082500951_1.html
  22. ↑ Bhattacharyya, Rica (2014-06-06). "Education not enough for success: Nilaya Varma, MD, Health and Public Service, Accenture". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389 . https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/education-not-enough-for-success-nilaya-varma-md-health-and-public-service-accenture/articleshow/36119710.cms. Retrieved 2025-07-10. 
  23. ↑ Bhattacharyya, Rica (2014-06-06). "Education not enough for success: Nilaya Varma, MD, Health and Public Service, Accenture". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389 . https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/education-not-enough-for-success-nilaya-varma-md-health-and-public-service-accenture/articleshow/36119710.cms. Retrieved 2025-07-10. 
  24. ↑ Greatest leaders India and GCC 2020-21, Asia One, accessed at https://asiaone.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/00-Preview.pdf
  25. ↑ No Title. www.educationworld.in. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
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