The moment that breaks most Indian family businesses

Generation 1 built on relationships, instinct, and grit. Generation 2 wants to build on systems, data, and scale. Both are right. Both are incomplete. And between them is a transition most firms handle poorly.

Three common failures

1. The “invisible handover” — G1 says “it’s all yours now” but still takes every key decision. G2 has responsibility without authority.
2. The “clean break” — G2 redesigns everything, discards institutional knowledge, alienates key managers. The business loses its soul.
3. The “slow strangulation” — No handover plan. Things drift. Competitors pull ahead.

What a successful transition looks like

Three elements: clarity, cadence, coaching.

• Clarity — written charter defining which decisions sit with G1, G2, and joint forum
• Cadence — monthly operating reviews, quarterly strategy, annual retreats
• Coaching — for both generations. G1 learns to step back. G2 learns to step up.

Why we call ourselves Sarathi, not consultant

Consultants hand you a plan and leave. A sarathi stays in the chariot — through every turn, every doubt, every difficult decision. Family transitions are not a project. They are a journey.