Chat with the co-founders on building Pierian | The Pierian Story | Inside a CA Firm | Part 1/4

They weren’t childhood friends. They didn’t inherit a legacy practice. They met six months before signing a partnership deed—and that partnership has stayed unshakable for 33 years.

Welcome to Part 1 of Inside a CA Firm | The Pierian Story, where we uncover how CA Chetan Venugopal and CA Gurunath Kanathur built one of India’s most respected CA-led professional services groups.

From a modest practice in Bengaluru to a global organization with 2,000+ professionals across India, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, the Middle East, and North America, this episode explores:
How two young CAs walked away from their previous firm own firm
Why corporate experience changed the way they saw their practice
How Pierian grew into a multi-country professional services powerhouse
The role of partnerships, risk-taking, and reinvention
What it really takes to stay relevant across decades

Hosted by Geena Bharwani, this conversation is proof that some of the most powerful partnerships are the ones you never plan but, instead, grow into.

Watch Part 1 now and step into the real, honest beginnings of The Pierian Story.

#InsideACAFirm #ThePierianStory #CharteredAccountants #CACommunity #ZohoBooks #CAInterviews #Bengaluru #OfficeTour #ZohoFor CAs

Inside a CA Firm is a Zoho Books original series celebrating India’s chartered accountants. Hear about their stories, their spaces, and the culture behind their success.

Host: Geena Bharwani, Zoho

Chapters
00:52 – A partnership signed in 6 months
01:37 – “We weren’t even friends first”
02:40 – Choosing CA: The cricketer & the dramatist’s son
04:44 – The first CA firm & getting bored of ‘normal’ practice
06:00 – Leaving their own firm for industry roles
07:00 – The crossroads: Not wanting to go back to traditional practice
07:46 – The spark: India entry + outsourcing
09:01 – Why partnerships matter (and how theirs really works)
10:37 – From India to a global professional services group
12:28 – Saying yes before knowing how
14:45 – Narrowing focus: Key verticals Pierian now serves
16:18 – The real fear: Becoming irrelevant in the age of AI
18:05 – Building an AI-led platform for MSMEs
20:18 – Closing & transition to the office tour