2026 and the year ahead. Taken my time to pen this down.

2025 was a tough year in the real economy: a mix of cautious optimism, heavy cost discipline, and a constant battle on collections and price against disruptive discounters, reflected in almost every leadership conversation I had through the year.

Clients spoke less about expansion and more about defending margin, cash flow, and basic predictability. The common thread was resilience. Businesses still want to scale, but only where working capital and unit economics support it. Senior hires were made carefully, with a clear line from cost to value.

Growth will continue to favour the genuinely agile. As 2026 unfolds, leadership teams will need to do more than talk about a VUCA world. They will need clarity on direction and the courage to walk away from legacy bets that no longer fit the shape of the market.

Here’s wishing everyone a year of reflection with momentum. As someone said recently, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” It is often the best invitation to reset the status quo, rethink how you compete, and recommit to what actually matters.

— Anjali Samuel, Managing Partner