An integrated Indian law firm for the climate-defined decade.

Prathiba is a Partner in Corporate and M&A practice at LKS New Delhi. Prathiba Karthikeyan is a seasoned legal and tax professional with over 15 years of experience spanning indirect tax law, international taxation, carbon markets and climate finance policy. A Chartered Accountant and qualified lawyer, she brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and cross-jurisdictional exposure, having advised multinational corporations in India and worked with leading international institutions across Europe.

Prathiba began her career at Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys (LKS), where she rose to Joint Partner and led a team advising MNC clients in the manufacturing, automotive and consumer goods sectors on indirect tax law, GST implementation and customs compliance.

Following her tenure at LKS, Prathiba pursued an LL.M. in International Business Law and Innovation at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), graduating Summa Cum Laude. Her thesis examined the legal framework around greenwashing through carbon offsetting, with a critical comparative analysis of EU and Indian regulatory regimes, reflecting her focus at the intersection of regulation and sustainability.

Her diverse training engagements, including those at the OECD's Global Forum on Transparency, supporting carbon credit project development at UpEnergy Group and advising philanthropic initiatives at Impact Philanthropy Advisors GmbH (now Impact Trust) in Liechtenstein have contributed to her multi-faceted foundation and experience.

She has since focussed on building a practice in climate change and sustainability, ranging from advising carbon projects on Project Design Documents (PDDs), carbon credit rights, land tenure, taxation, data protection and carbon pricing frameworks, while also contributing to academic course development on climate finance and carbon markets, and contributing to policy-oriented articles for policy think tanks.

Gaurav Dayal is a Partner in Corporate, M&A and Private Equity at Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, with nearly 18 years' experience handling complex, high-value transactions with strategic, regulatory expertise.

Gaurav regularly advises multinational corporations, private equity and venture capital funds, sovereign investors, financial institutions, and Indian business groups on cross-border and domestic M&A, strategic and PE/VC investments, joint ventures, business transfers, exits, and restructuring initiatives.

A significant part of Gaurav's practice involves India entry structures - helping global corporations and funds design compliant investment routes, navigate FEMA/FDI restrictions, structure ownership and governance, and address licensing requirements and regulatory approvals in regulated sectors.

He frequently advises on strategic considerations such as India market entry, tax-efficient investment structures, risk allocation and pre-IPO reorganisation, alongside execution focused support for complex and time-sensitive transactions. He also counsels clients on corporate governance, exchange control, securities regulations, data protection, foreign investment policy and group reorganisations, including business hive-offs.

His work spans diverse sectors including healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, technology and telecom, financial services and fintech, renewable energy, consumer products, retail, food & agriculture, infrastructure, defence, real estate and hospitality.

Before joining LKS, he spent more than a decade at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas in the M&A and Private Equity practice.