Leaders
Skill is certainly not a gift but a built-up state of mind that is developed through wisdom, hard work, and with an incessant pursuit of difference. This mantra underpins Sarvaank Associates’ founder Ankita Singh’s career as a transactional lawyer and a corporate attorney. Her professional journey is an attestation of fortitude, predefining her journey from her roots in Kanpur to becoming a sought-after legal counsel in the Indian capital market, venture capital, and private equity space.
Ankita’s interest in law begun during the historic Hutch-Vodafone merger, influencing her mindset towards not considering law as a body of rules but as a force driving business expansion. Post-law school, she began her career with Fox Mandal & Little, followed by her involvement in interpreting India's largest tech initiative, the UIDAI-Aadhaar Project.
Propelled by a passion to combine legal acumen and business strategy, Ankita set up Sarvaank Associates in 2019. Beyond its presence as a law firm, Sarvaank is a powerhouse of strategic advisory that focuses on PE/VC investment advisory, corporate commercial transactions, investment structuring, pre and post investment compliances, intellectual property matters among others.
Building a team of astute legal minds, Ankita’s efforts brought her recognition in the Forbes Legal Powerlist and the Women Leadership Award in Private Equity and Venture Capital. Her crusade mirrors her devotion to excellence from being a curious student fascinated by corporate transactions to becoming a legal entrepreneur moulding business framework of India.
In a conversation with Women Entrepreneurs Review, Ankita takes us on her journey as an entrepreneur in the legal space.
Sarvaank associates was born from a simple but powerful realization, that the legal advisory landscape, especially in the startup investment ecosystem, needed to evolve
Take us through your educational journey. What led you to foray into the field of law?
Law wasn’t a default choice for me, it was a discovery. Back in school, I was fascinated by the Hutch-Vodafone merger, how the deal unfolded and the sheer scale of it. Its layers of strategy, legal complexities, regulatory nuances, media speculation, business implications, everything was absolutely captivating.
That is when, I realised that law wasn’t just about courts and contracts, it was also about ambition, power shifts, negotiations, and value creation, and that led me to pursue law. Over time, I became increasingly drawn to the intersection of law and business, not as two separate disciplines, but as co-creators of strategy and growth.
Share your journey as a corporate law expert and the key competencies you have developed.
My professional journey has been a mosaic of rich experiences across diverse environments.
Beginning my career at Fox Mandal & Little, one of India’s most reputed law firms, I was exposed to high-stake transactions, complex commercial structuring and cross-border advisory mandates in my formative years.
A defining moment early in my career was the opportunity to work on the interpretation and advisory of India’s largest technology contracts, The UIDAI-Aadhaar project.
Over the years, my experience has shaped three core competencies in my practice. First, strategic thinking beyond just legal analysis that is I believe a lawyer must align legal advice with business objectives rather than confining it to legal jargon. Second, stakeholder navigation & negotiation. And third, problem-solving in ambiguity which means building frameworks in grey zones, including structuring, safeguarding, and scaling businesses in fast-moving, evolving environments.
This journey led me to create Sarvaank Associates, a firm dedicated to bring founder-first legal and strategic thinking into the heart of business building.
What are Sarvaank Associates' key areas of expertise and what sets it apart from others?
During my journey, I identified that the VC landscape required high-quality, business-aligned approach. This insight became my motivation to establish Sarvaank Associates, a bridge between law and business, providing commercial clarity to clients.
I envisioned Sarvaank Associates as a space where legal strategy is not just reactive or compliance-driven, but deeply proactive, commercially intuitive, and growth-oriented. A practice where the law becomes an enabler, not a hurdle, for innovation, risk-taking, and business building.
Our key areas of expertise include Startup Advisory & Structuring, Venture Capital & Private Equity Structuring, Mergers & Acquisitions, Intellectual Property & Commercial Acquisitions, Cap Table Structuring & Acquisitions, and Regulatory and Sectoral Compliance.
Our work spans across sectors like AI, deeptech, manufacturing, fintech, mobility, and SaaS and others.
What are your key responsibilities at Sarvaank Associates and how do you balance operations with its core expertise?
As the founder of Sarvaank Associates, I lead both the strategic and legal direction of the firm. Driving client relationships, mentoring the team, and shaping the firm's growth are central to my role. Balancing operations with core expertise requires sharp prioritization and a clear sense of purpose. I focus on fostering collaboration between our clients and the firm, and we have built a team that shares those ethos.
Outside of work, I find balance in running, spirituality, and my deep love for nature, especially plants.
What key challenges do you face as a leader and how do you navigate through them?
I navigate through challenges by staying hands-on where it matters, building a team that thinks like owners. This approach ensures a deep understanding of the pros and cons of every decision.
Staying anchored in the "why" behind each deal or mandate is crucial. I have instilled this mindset in my team, including why a particular piece of advice matters, why the founder considers certain aspects, and why a specific solution fits the problem at hand. This is a principle I focus on personally as well.
We operate in a space with established names, but rather than seeing it as a challenge, I view it as an opportunity to refine our approach.
How do you aim to impact India's business landscape through your work in VC, Private Equity, and M&A?
Through my work across venture capital, private equity, M&A, and corporate-commercial advisory, my goal extends beyond closing deals. It’s about shaping a more intelligent, founder-friendly, and future-forward business ecosystem in India.
I want to foster a culture where legal advice isn’t just reactive or risk-averse but strategic, enabling, and deeply aligned with growth and innovation. In the long run, I hope our work contributes to an ecosystem where clarity, trust, and collaboration are embedded from day one.
Ankita Singh , Founder, Sarvaank Associates
Ankita Singh is a corporate and transactional lawyer by profession who founded Sarvaank Associates. She is also a qualified Company Secretary. Practicing law for an extensive period, she has worked with diverse law firms while currently providing structuring & advisory services in venture capital and private equity transactions. She has won Forbes Legal Powerlist, Women Leadership Award by Maharashtra Government.
