CFO and finance head search · India

CFO and finance head search for promoter and family businesses.

For owner-run manufacturers, exporters and family groups bringing in a professional finance head. 3 to 5 CA-reviewed profiles in 7 working days. Fee: one month’s CTC.

Book a Call

Paid service. ₹5,000 per opening to start, adjusted against your fee. See pricing

3 to 5profiles, each checked by CA Ketul Patel before you see it
7working days to the first shortlist, counted from the day we receive the service charge
1 monthof the hire’s CTC is our fee, plus applicable taxes. That is 8.33% of annual CTC
90 daysreplacement period: one replacement for the same role at no additional fee
Who it suits

For owners bringing in a professional finance head.

Short answer: promoter-run manufacturers, exporters and family groups that want their first professional CFO or finance head, and growing companies whose finance work has outgrown a finance manager.

If the gap is running one company’s finance function, a finance manager is usually the right hire; if it is the accuracy of the numbers across a group, a financial controller.

How we work

Not a retained search, and priced that way.

Short answer: you pay ₹5,000 to start, the fee of one month’s CTC is due only when your CFO joins, and a Chartered Accountant reviews every profile you see.

Accounting BabaRetained executive search
FeeOne month’s CTC (8.33%) plus applicable taxes20% to 33% of first-year CTC (see the sources below)
When you pay₹5,000 to start, adjusted against the fee; the balance within 10 days of joiningPart of the fee is paid before the hire, as the search runs
Who screensOur team interviews; CA Ketul Patel reviews every shortlisted profileThe firm’s consultants
Shortlist3 to 5 profiles within 7 working days of the service chargeVaries by firm

When a large search firm is the better choice. For the CFO of a large listed group, a search across several countries, or a brief that needs a formal market map, psychometric assessment or board-level referencing, a retained executive search firm is built for that work. For an owner-run business that wants a strong finance head, CA-reviewed profiles and a published fee, we are a fit.

CFO pay by city

What a CFO costs, city by city.

Typical annual CTC ranges for a CFO published by AmbitionBox, read on 22 October 2026, with our fee at one month of that CTC.

CityTypical CTC (a year)Our fee at one month’s CTCSource
Ahmedabad₹37.8 to 56.6 lakh (38 salaries)₹3.15 to ₹4.72 lakhAmbitionBox
Vadodara₹32.4 to 46.7 lakh (only 8 salaries)₹2.70 to ₹3.89 lakhAmbitionBox
Mumbai₹73.9 to 85.8 lakh₹6.16 to ₹7.15 lakhAmbitionBox
Pune₹58.8 to 81.5 lakh₹4.90 to ₹6.79 lakhAmbitionBox
Bengaluru₹60.6 to 83.9 lakh₹5.05 to ₹6.99 lakhAmbitionBox
Gurugram₹74.9 to 93.8 lakh₹6.24 to ₹7.82 lakhAmbitionBox
NoidaNot publishedn/aAmbitionBox
Hyderabad₹56.1 to 79.6 lakh₹4.67 to ₹6.63 lakhAmbitionBox
Chennai₹58.8 to 82.7 lakh₹4.90 to ₹6.89 lakhAmbitionBox

AmbitionBox’s Ahmedabad CFO range rests on 38 salaries and the Vadodara range on only 8, so treat Vadodara as a rough guide. AmbitionBox publishes no CFO range for Noida. Fees exclude applicable taxes. These are published ranges, not our placement data.

In larger companies the numbers run higher. Michael Page’s India Salary Guide 2026 puts a CFO at a ₹200 to 1,000 crore company at ₹75 to 120 lakh basic salary with 10 to 15 years’ experience, and ₹85 to 200 lakh with more than 15 years. Its salary comparison tool gives an average of ₹150 lakh for a CFO at director level (Michael Page salary guide, salary comparison tool). The guide figures were read from a third-party copy because the official guide needs a sign-up, and they reflect Michael Page’s client base of larger firms. Randstad’s Salary Trends 2025-26 gives a senior management average of ₹40.04 lakh in Mumbai and ₹28.38 lakh in tier-2 cities (Randstad).

Pricing

Simple and stated upfront.

Our fee per hire
1 month’s CTC

Of the candidate you hire, plus applicable taxes.

Paid upfront
₹5,000

Service charge per job opening, paid when you decide to go ahead. It is adjusted against the fee.

If not closed in 30 days
50% back

Half the service charge is returned if we do not close the opening within 30 days of receiving it. Conditions apply.

The balance is payable within 10 days of the candidate joining. Terms of BusinessBook a Call
How the fee compares

One month’s CTC, against 20% to 33% for a search.

One month’s CTC is 8.33% of the annual CTC. VelivoHR puts retained C-suite search at 20% to 25% of CTC (VelivoHR, 2026). Athena Executive Search puts executive search at 20% to 33% of first-year CTC, and 25% to 33% for a CFO (Athena Executive Search, August 2026).

CFO at ₹48 lakh CTC

  • Our fee: ₹4,00,000 plus applicable taxes
  • Paid upfront: ₹5,000, adjusted against the fee. The balance of ₹3,95,000 is due within 10 days of joining
  • At 20% to 33% (executive search): about ₹9.6 to ₹15.84 lakh

CFO at ₹75 lakh CTC

  • Our fee: ₹6,25,000 plus applicable taxes
  • Paid upfront: ₹5,000, adjusted against the fee. The balance of ₹6,20,000 is due within 10 days of joining
  • At 20% to 33% (executive search): about ₹15 to ₹24.75 lakh

₹48 lakh sits inside the AmbitionBox Ahmedabad CFO range and ₹75 lakh inside the Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Gurugram, Hyderabad and Chennai ranges. They are examples, not quotes. All amounts exclude applicable taxes.

How it works

Run fully by phone and video.

We do not need a meeting at your office to run the search. Briefing, screening and interviews happen by phone, WhatsApp and video. If you prefer to meet the final candidates in person, you can.

1

Brief on a call

Tell us the role, the CTC range, the reporting line and the companies you want people from, including your competitors. A phone or video call is enough.

2

Pay the ₹5,000 service charge

The 7 working days start on the day we receive it. It is adjusted against the fee, and half is returned if we do not close the opening within 30 days.

3

We search, screen and interview on video

We approach candidates, interview them by video and test the work the role needs. CA Ketul Patel reviews every shortlisted profile himself.

4

3 to 5 profiles within 7 working days

You interview the shortlist, in person or on video, as you prefer. We handle scheduling, feedback and the offer.

5

Your hire joins

If the placement ends within 90 days of joining, we find one replacement for the same role at no additional fee. Conditions apply.

Who reviews your shortlist

Every profile checked
by a Chartered Accountant.

CA Ketul Patel, Founder of Accounting Baba
Chartered Accountant Founder
CA Ketul Patel
Founder, Accounting Baba
Ketul reviews every shortlisted profile himself before it reaches you. For a CFO or finance head, that means a Chartered Accountant has read the candidate’s reporting, funding, banking, audit and team experience against what your business needs before you meet them.
LinkedIn  ·  About Accounting Baba
Questions

CFO search: before you ask.

Yes. We search for CFOs and finance heads for owner-run manufacturers, exporters and family groups across India, with every shortlisted profile reviewed by CA Ketul Patel before you see it.
No. You pay a ₹5,000 service charge to start, and the fee of one month’s CTC is due only when your hire joins. If you need a formal market map or psychometric assessment as part of the search, a retained search firm is built for that.
AmbitionBox’s typical CFO ranges, read on 22 October 2026, run from ₹32.4 to 46.7 lakh a year in Vadodara (only 8 salaries) and ₹37.8 to 56.6 lakh in Ahmedabad to ₹73.9 to 85.8 lakh in Mumbai and ₹74.9 to 93.8 lakh in Gurugram. The full table is above.
Our fee is one month’s CTC of the person you hire, plus applicable taxes. ₹5,000 per job opening is paid upfront as a service charge and is adjusted against that fee. If we do not close the opening within 30 days of receiving the service charge, half of it is returned. The balance is payable within 10 days of the candidate joining. There is no annual fee, retainer or monthly charge.
One month’s CTC: ₹4,00,000 plus applicable taxes. The ₹5,000 service charge is adjusted against it, so ₹3,95,000 plus taxes is due within 10 days of joining. At 20% to 33% of CTC an executive search would cost about ₹9.6 to ₹15.84 lakh.
You get 3 to 5 profiles within 7 working days of the day we receive the service charge. Each profile is screened, interviewed and reviewed by CA Ketul Patel before it reaches you. How long the hire takes after that depends on your interview rounds and the candidate’s notice period.
Our founder, CA Ketul Patel, a Chartered Accountant, reviews every shortlisted profile himself before you see it. For senior finance roles he checks the candidate’s experience against the work the role needs, such as closing books, GST and tax compliance, audits, MIS, budgeting and bank or lender work.
Yes. Name the companies you want people from, including your competitors, and we approach candidates working there. You can also tell us which companies to avoid.
We find one replacement for the same role at no additional fee if the candidate resigns or is let go within 90 days of joining. It applies when the fee has been paid on time and you tell us within 7 days of the exit, and not when the exit is due to redundancy, restructuring or a change in the role, location or salary. Full details are in our Terms of Business.

Related pages:

Hiring in IndiaFinancial controller hiringPlant controller hiringQualified CA hiringAhmedabadVadodaraMumbaiHiring a finance managerFinance salaries by city 2026Terms of Business

Tell us the role.
We handle the rest.

Share your requirement on WhatsApp or call us. Our team responds the same day.

WhatsApp +91 90162 22107 Call Now