CEO Insights Magazine

In today’s era, if we look at any of the leaders or entrepreneurs, one thing is common in all of them their determination to push the organization to new heights in terms of profit, sustainability, growth, and so on. However, hardly we see a leader who is taking a step back and focusing more on the quality of their work and overall work experience. Vansh Gupta, Founder & CEO, Ascenta Consulting is one of those rare leaders, who prioritizes improving the quality of work than organizational growth and profits. His organization, Ascenta Consulting, is focused on providing business consulting services to small and medium level organizations regardless of their ability to pay.

In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Vansh shares his inspiration behind the inception of Ascenta, the unique services provided by the firm, and much more:

Shed some light on your educational and professional background. What was your inspiration behind establishing Ascenta Consulting,and what motivates you today?
Born in Moradabad, UP, I studied at a local school with a fairly humble education and background. I have done my international baccalaureate diploma from The Doon School in Dehradun and then my degrees at Cornell University. I grew up seeing people around me struggling with different issues and I was always been determined to do something about it. Being able to change the lives of people with your knowledge is a divine gift, and that is what drives me. With this in mind, I founded Ascenta Consulting while still in high school.

Professionally, as an academic, I am conducting research in Economics and Management practices in developing nations, and working with my colleagues in the industry to accelerate development in those countries by establishing efficient management practices.

Define Ascenta Consulting as an organization and its current

position in the industry?
Comprising of a team of fifteen or so young volunteers who are driven by their passion for constant learning and helping the world around them, the primary focus of Ascenta Consulting is to work pro-bono with clients who cannot afford to pay for general consulting services. So most of our clients are NGOs as well as small-and-medium enterprises.

We, at Ascenta, care about the people and that’s what I believe sets us apart. Since there is no money involved, and our volunteers work with the sole intention of helping people outwithout any expectations of anything in return, it is always in our best interests to empathize with the clients. We not only try to solve their issues but truly go beyond our way to put ourselves in their shoes and see the issue from their perspectives.

What are some of the unique products that are provided by Ascenta Consulting that make it stand out from the rest in the market?
Instead of considering our services as unique products, I would like to consider it as a single kind of service with multiple differentiating factors involved based on the individual products. The key metric defining Ascenta’s products is customizabilityin all possible dimensions. We don’t just tailor our services for our client businesses, but show them the possibilities and then tailor the services to meet the goals set by the client.

We help our clients in exploring all the possible alternative goals achievable based on their situation (customizing on one dimension) and then prepare them to position their strategy to achieve the set goal in the most efficient way possible (further customization across multiple businesses).

Being the CEO, how do you plan to apply your exceptional understanding of this domain in Ascenta Consulting and take it to the next level?
Taking Ascenta Consulting to the next level would involve me expanding our team, which I don’t think is necessary at this stage. An important part of retaining the amazing talents at Ascenta is by allowing them to grow and form

bonds amongst themselves, and at this stage, I feel that everyone is satisfied with how much impact they are making and how much they are learning from these experiences. Instead of growth, we are striving for improving the quality of our work and finding happiness in what we do, and until we do that, I do not think there is a ‘next level’ to go to.

What has been the success mantra that constantly helps you arrive at positive outcomes? what advice would you give to the upcoming entrepreneurs in the same industry?
My success mantra has been based on the three basic metrics that help me make decisions, which are whether it’s a kind thing to do, whether it’s an impactful thing to do, whether it’s a challenging thing to do. I go for the task that satisfies at least two of these metrics and also it must be a kind thing to do. I feel that challenge is necessary for growth. Similarly, if you don’t constantly push yourself to do challenging things, no one else will push you to do the same.


The advice I would like to give to budding entrepreneurs in this industry is to recognize the fact that this industry is all about people. With profit rarely being the center, the industry is still growing at an exceptional rate. Entering this industry with a profit mindset might help you earn a good profit, but in terms of sustainability, you won’t be able to stay in the industry for long. The most successful entrepreneurs in the industry have been the ones who care more about people. Be clear with your intentions, and start small but think big.

Vansh Gupta, Founder & CEO, Ascenta Consulting
Through his organization Ascenta Consulting,Vansh Gupta is trying to empower maximum businesses across India by providing business consulting services to small and medium level organizations regardless of their ability to pay. Being an empathetic and kind leader, Vansh is passionate about making an impact on the world with whatever he does.

Hobbies: Going on long drives, exploring urban cities
Favorite Cuisine: Italian
Favorite Book: The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
Favorite Travel Destination:
•Wayanad, Kerala