GC Influencers
Most Influential GCs - India
Rajagopal Venkatakrishnan of Reliance Jio Infocomm.
Mumbai-based Rajagopal Venkatakrishnan has served as Senior Vice President of legal affairs at Reliance Industries since 2015. Before joining the company he was based in Singapore for five years as Director of Legal and Business Development for Asia-Pacific at Manpower Group. His extensive experience – he graduated from Madras Law College in 1988 – makes him an expert in M&A, contract management and litigation strategies, as well as a very influential counsel, especially within the telecommunications sector. Market sources report: “He has really taken a leading role within that group and he is a GC with a significant role within the market.” His impressive resume also includes spending a decade at Siva Group in Chennai, where he worked on high-profile projects in the areas of telecommunications services, energy and shipping.
In his current role, Rajagopal has been at the helm during a period in which Reliance Industries has led, together with other major conglomerates, a trend towards greater investment in the in-house legal team, bolstering its ability to oversee major transactions as well as other key strategic issues.
In recent years, the team has continued to expand its traditional petrochemicals and refinery business into the telecoms, media and retail spheres, including recently acquiring Hathway in a USD350 million transaction as well as acquiring Den Networks. An interviewee confirms his inclusion as a top general counsel: “He is the go-to man: he is very powerful.”