Chandiok revealed that preliminary talks are underway with New Mountain Capital, a US-based investor in Grant Thornton, and Cinven, an investor in its European business. He said the Indian unit would seek a valuation of over $2 billion in case of a merger or stake sale. In such a scenario, the Indian side would become the largest shareholder. This move also aligns with the Indian government's vision of nurturing accounting and consulting firms that can compete with the likes of Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Grant Thornton provides services in tax, regulatory advisory, and auditing across 28 industries in India.