A Virtual CFO gives your business senior finance leadership on a monthly retainer, without the cost of a full-time hire. Marcken Consulting LLP provides Virtual CFO services to businesses in Chennai and across India — covering monthly MIS, cash flow, budgeting, statutory compliance, fundraising support and valuation. Engagements are led by qualified Chartered Accountants and delivered remotely from our Ahmedabad office.
1. When a business in Chennai needs a Virtual CFO
Most promoters reach the same point. The business is running, an accountant records the transactions, and the annual audit gets done. But month to month, the picture is unclear:
- Revenue is growing, yet nobody can say confidently whether margins are improving
- Cash gets tight without warning, and payments are managed by instinct rather than a forecast
- An OEM, a bank, or an investor asks for financials and projections, and it takes 3 weeks to assemble them
- Compliance is handled, but only reactively, close to each due date
- There is no monthly number the promoter genuinely trusts
An accountant records what has happened. A Virtual CFO interprets it and tells you what to do next. That is the gap this service fills. For a broader look at the role, see What Is a Virtual CFO? Roles, Benefits, and Costs; if you are weighing a full retainer against a scoped assignment, our Virtual CFO vs Fractional CFO comparison sets out the difference.
2. What is included
2.1 Every month
- Monthly MIS pack — profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow statement, with written commentary explaining what moved and why
- Cash flow monitoring and short-term forecast — a rolling view of expected inflows and outflows, so shortfalls are visible in advance
- Receivables and payables review — ageing analysis, follow-up priorities, and working capital impact
- Budget versus actual variance analysis — where the business is running ahead of or behind plan, line by line
- Statutory compliance tracking — GST, TDS, ROC and income tax due dates monitored and reported, tracked against the GST portal, Income Tax Department and Ministry of Corporate Affairs filing calendars
- Monthly review call with promoters — a structured discussion of the numbers and the decisions arising from them
2.2 Quarterly or as required
- Annual budgeting and rolling forecasts
- Financial projections and business plans
- Fundraising support — investor decks, data room preparation and due diligence coordination
- Valuation support — share valuation, ESOP valuation and floor price determination, including guidance on which valuation report you need
- Banking and working capital support — facility applications, lender documentation and covenant monitoring
- Internal financial controls and process design
3. Who we work with
Chennai’s business base spans a deep automotive and electronics manufacturing cluster, a large IT/ITES and GCC corridor along OMR, and a significant port and export trade. The financial priorities differ markedly by sector.
3.1 By sector
- Automotive OEMs and auto-component manufacturers — product and plant-wise costing, OEM payment-cycle working capital, and export documentation for component and accessory exports
- Electronics manufacturing and EMS (Sriperumbudur–Oragadam corridor) — high-volume inventory financing, customs and export documentation, and capex appraisal for capacity expansion
- IT/ITES, GCCs and SaaS companies (OMR corridor) — investor-format reporting, project and client profitability, multi-currency receivables and burn monitoring for funded companies
- Healthcare and hospital groups — service-line margin analysis, regulatory capex planning and insurance/TPA receivables management
- Ports, shipping and logistics (Chennai Port and Kamarajar Port) — working capital tied to shipment cycles, forex exposure and customs documentation
- Leather, textiles and garment exporters — export incentive tracking, forex exposure and inventory financing
- Engineering, renewable energy and industrial equipment — project costing, capex planning and milestone billing
- Real estate and construction — project-wise costing, milestone revenue recognition and funding phasing
- Trading and professional services — margin analysis by product line, recurring revenue tracking and receivables discipline
3.2 By stage of business
The service is designed to work at different stages of a business:
- Startups and funded companies — investor reporting, burn monitoring, fundraising readiness and cap table support
- Small and medium enterprises — monthly financial discipline, working capital control and banking support
- Family-owned and promoter-driven businesses — structured reporting, governance and succession-related financial planning
- Foreign companies entering India via Chennai — India-entry compliance, financial reporting and governance, including FEMA-compliant valuation where cross-border capital is involved
4. Why Marcken Consulting
4.1 Valuation capability within the same team
This is the part most Virtual CFO providers cannot offer. Marcken Consulting LLP is an IBBI-Registered Valuer (Securities or Financial Assets). Where your business needs a share valuation for an allotment, an ESOP grant, a share transfer or a fundraise, that work is handled inside the same engagement rather than outsourced to a third party who does not know your numbers.
Where a transaction also requires a Merchant Banker’s certificate, that certificate is issued by a SEBI-registered Category-I Merchant Banker within the same coordinated engagement.
Valuation requirements in India reflect the law as it stands from 1 April 2026, following the commencement of the Income-tax Act, 2025. Statutory provisions in this area have been subject to recent amendment, including the SEBI (Merchant Bankers) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025. We confirm the applicable requirement and the authorised certifying professional at the date of each engagement.
4.2 Qualified professionals, named and accountable
Engagements are led by qualified Chartered Accountants, working alongside CA Murli Chandak, an IBBI-Registered Valuer (Securities or Financial Assets). You know who is working on your file and you speak to them directly, rather than to an account manager.
4.3 Practical compliance grounding
The firm’s regular practice covers GST compliance and advisory, concurrent audit and statutory certification. Compliance is not a bolt-on to the Virtual CFO service; it is core to what the team does daily.
Not sure whether you need a Virtual CFO yet?
A 30-minute conversation is usually enough to tell. We will look at your current reporting and tell you honestly whether this service would add value at your stage, or whether it is premature.
5. How the engagement works
Step 1 — Initial discussion. A no-charge 30-minute call to understand your business, your current finance setup and what is missing.
Step 2 — Scope proposal. A written proposal setting out exactly which of the deliverables in section 2 apply to you, the reporting calendar and the fee.
Step 3 — Onboarding. Access to your books and records, a review of the current position, and agreement on the reporting formats.
Step 4 — Monthly cycle. MIS pack delivered on an agreed date each month, followed by the review call.
Fees depend on the scope agreed, the size of the business and the transaction volume. We will quote a fixed monthly retainer after the initial discussion, with no variable billing.
6. Serving Chennai remotely
Marcken Consulting operates from Ahmedabad and serves clients across India, including Chennai and the wider Tamil Nadu industrial belt. Virtual CFO work is by its nature remote — reporting, review calls and document exchange all happen digitally. Where an in-person meeting is warranted, it can be arranged. The same model supports our clients in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Delhi.
7. Frequently asked questions
What is a Virtual CFO?
A Virtual CFO is a senior finance professional who provides financial leadership to a business on a part-time or retainer basis, rather than as a full-time employee. The role covers financial reporting, cash flow management, budgeting, compliance oversight and strategic advice.
How is a Virtual CFO different from an accountant?
An accountant records and reports what has already happened. A Virtual CFO interprets that information, forecasts what is coming, and advises on the decisions that follow.
Do you have an office in Chennai?
No. Marcken Consulting operates from Ahmedabad and serves Chennai clients — including businesses across the Tamil Nadu industrial belt — remotely. Virtual CFO work is delivered digitally, with in-person meetings arranged where needed.
What does a Virtual CFO cost?
Fees depend on the agreed scope, business size and transaction volume. We quote a fixed monthly retainer following an initial discussion.
Can you also handle our share valuation?
Yes. Marcken Consulting LLP is an IBBI-Registered Valuer (Securities or Financial Assets), so share valuation, ESOP valuation and floor price determination can be handled within the same engagement.
Can a Virtual CFO support OEM vendor reporting and export documentation?
Yes. Where a Chennai-based business supplies automotive or electronics OEMs, or exports through the city’s ports, the Virtual CFO service covers vendor scorecards, milestone billing, and the export and customs documentation these transactions typically require.
Is there a minimum engagement period?
This is agreed in the scope proposal. Most engagements run on a rolling monthly basis after an initial settling-in period.
8. Get started
If you would like to discuss whether a Virtual CFO engagement suits your business, we offer a no-charge 30-minute consultation with no obligation.
Marcken Consulting LLP | CA Murli Chandak — IBBI-Registered Valuer (Securities or Financial Assets)
Website: marckenconsulting.com
Phone: +91 99980 59923 / +91 99985 39902
Email: crm@marckenconsulting.com
