1. Regulatory status
Meridian – The Consulting Firm (“Meridian”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is the trading name of [legal name of the company], a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 (CIN [CIN]), having its registered office at [registered office address], Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Meridian – The Consulting Firm is not registered with SEBI, AMFI or IRDAI. We provide business and financial-management consulting only and do not provide investment advice, research analysis or distribution of financial products.
In particular, Meridian:
- is not registered with SEBI as an Investment Adviser under the SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulations, 2013 or as a Research Analyst under the SEBI (Research Analysts) Regulations, 2014;
- is not registered with AMFI as a mutual fund distributor, and is not an insurance agent, broker or intermediary registered with IRDAI;
- is not a stock broker, depository participant, sub-broker or authorised person of any stock broker;
- is not a firm of chartered accountants or advocates, and does not issue audit reports, statutory certificates, legal opinions or statutory valuation reports.
2. What we do and do not do
| We do | We do not |
|---|---|
| Business strategy, business plans and financial projections | Recommend any security, mutual fund, insurance policy, broker or investment platform |
| Cash flow forecasting, working capital and management reporting (MIS) | Recommend asset allocation or prepare investment-based financial plans |
| Funding readiness: projections, CMA data preparation, lender and investor information packs | Publish research or opinions on listed securities, or give price targets |
| Cost, operations, internal controls, payroll structuring and systems implementation | Distribute, sell or earn commission on any financial product |
| Personal budgeting, debt restructuring and tax-regime comparison for private clients | File tax returns or issue certificates (a chartered accountant does this, engaged by you) |
| Indicative valuations for internal decision-making, clearly labelled as indicative | Issue valuations for regulatory or statutory purposes (an IBBI registered valuer does this) |
| Coordinate with independent professionals at your request | Hold, manage or have signing authority over client money, securities or accounts |
3. Why we keep a strict no-advice policy
Securities law in India permits only registered persons to give investment advice or publish research on securities for consideration. SEBI has also directed the entities it regulates, and their agents, not to associate with persons who give investment advice or make return claims without registration. Because one of our vendors is owned by an authorised person of stock brokers (section 5), our no-advice policy protects our clients, our vendor and us. Our people sign written undertakings not to give views on securities, and every deliverable is checked for this before it is released.
4. Independent professionals and referrals
Some matters need a licensed professional, such as a chartered accountant, advocate, lender, insurance agent or registered valuer. At your request we may introduce or coordinate with such a professional. In every case:
- you engage and pay the professional directly, and you are free to choose anyone else;
- neither Meridian nor any of its vendors or associates receives any fee, commission, referral payment or other benefit from the professional in connection with your matter;
- if the professional will earn any commission from a third party on a transaction (for example, an insurance or lending commission), we will ask them to disclose it to you in writing, in percentage and rupee terms, before you transact.
5. Our relationship with Arthh
Meridian uses Arthh as a paid vendor for secretarial support, scheduling, document coordination and access to a network of independent professionals. Arthh is owned by an individual who is an Authorised Person of Fyers and Sharekhan, which are stock brokers registered with SEBI.
To manage this conflict of interest:
- Meridian does not recommend any stock broker, demat provider or trading platform, including Fyers and Sharekhan;
- Arthh and its personnel are bound by a written confidentiality and data processing agreement and an undertaking not to use Meridian client information for any other purpose, and not to solicit Meridian clients for broking or any other product or service of Arthh or the brokers;
- Arthh's access to client information is limited to what its secretarial role requires;
- if a client asks about broking or demat services, we provide neutral, general information only and remind the client of this relationship;
- Meridian receives no payment or benefit from Arthh, Fyers or Sharekhan.
Full particulars of this relationship, including the name of the individual concerned, are set out in the disclosure schedule to our engagement letter.
6. Associates and their other interests
Our associates include professionals with independent businesses and experience in areas such as travel and hospitality, real estate and interiors, and transactions. Each associate signs a confidentiality agreement and a conflict declaration. Where an associate has an interest in a business that could supply or compete with a client, we disclose it to the client and, where appropriate, assign another associate. Associates with investment-banking experience explain transaction processes only and do not give views on any listed security.
7. Projections, valuations and Insights
Financial projections, scenarios and indicative valuations we prepare are estimates based on stated assumptions and information provided to us. They are not guarantees of future results, and actual outcomes may differ materially. Our Insights reviews describe past economic and market conditions for general information; they are not research reports on securities, do not forecast returns and are not recommendations.
8. Use of technology and AI tools
We use business software and AI tools to assist with drafting and analysis, under commercial terms that protect client confidentiality. AI-assisted work is reviewed by a consultant, and every client deliverable passes a second-reader check before release. Our Privacy Notice lists the service providers that process client data.
9. Complaints
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service or conduct, please write to us at consulting@meridian-consulting.co.in with the subject line “Complaint”. We will acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to resolve it within 30 days. Because Meridian is not regulated by SEBI, AMFI or IRDAI, complaints about our services cannot be lodged through those regulators' grievance systems. Data protection grievances are handled as set out in our Privacy Notice.