| # | Career | What You Do | Skills to Build | Qualification Path | Companies to Target | Starting Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Investment Banking | M&A, IPOs, fundraising deals | Financial modelling, Valuation, Excel, Accounting, PPT | B.Com/BBA + CFA | Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Citi | ₹7–50 LPA |
| 02 | Equity Research | Analyse companies, industries, stocks | Financial analysis, Valuation, Research, Excel | B.Com/BBA + CFA | Morgan Stanley, Morningstar, CRISIL | ₹7–29 LPA |
| 03 | FP&A / Corporate Finance | Budgeting, forecasting, performance analysis | Excel, Forecasting, Power BI, Financial analysis | B.Com/BBA + ACCA/US CMA | Amazon, P&G, Deloitte | ₹5–45 LPA |
| 04 | Risk Management | Manage credit, market & operational risk | Risk analysis, Statistics, Excel, Data analysis | B.Com/BBA + FRM | HSBC, Citi, JPMorgan | ₹5–30 LPA |
| 05 | Valuation & Deal Advisory | Value companies, support M&A | DCF, Modelling, Valuation, Accounting | B.Com/BBA + CFA/ACCA | EY, Deloitte, PwC | ₹5–25 LPA |
01 · Investment Banking
Deal-making & capital raising
You work on mergers & acquisitions, IPOs, and fundraising deals — building financial models, valuing companies, and preparing the pitch books that support live transactions. Hours are long, but exposure to deals is unmatched.
- Skills: Financial modelling, Valuation (DCF, comparables), Advanced Excel, Accounting fundamentals, PowerPoint/pitch decks
- Path: B.Com/BBA, then CFA (Level 1–2 is a strong signal at entry)
- Roles: IB Analyst · M&A Analyst · Corporate Finance Analyst
- Target companies: Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Citi, Kotak Investment Banking, Avendus
- Starting range: ₹7–16 LPA
02 · Equity Research
Analysing companies & markets
You dig into company financials, industry trends, and management commentary to form a view on whether a stock is worth buying, holding, or selling — then publish that view as a research report used by fund managers and traders.
- Skills: Financial statement analysis, Valuation, Industry research, Excel modelling, Written communication
- Path: B.Com/BBA, then CFA (widely considered the gold standard here)
- Roles: Equity Research Analyst · Investment Analyst · Research Associate
- Target companies: Morgan Stanley, Morningstar, CRISIL, Motilal Oswal, ICICI Securities
- Starting range: ₹7–12 LPA
03 · FP&A / Corporate Finance
Running the numbers behind the business
You sit inside a company (not a bank) and own budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis — helping business leaders understand where money is going. More predictable hours than IB, with a clear path into senior finance leadership.
- Skills: Excel, Forecasting & budgeting, Power BI/data visualisation, Business partnering, Financial analysis
- Path: B.Com/BBA, then ACCA or US CMA
- Roles: FP&A Analyst · Finance Analyst · Corporate Finance Analyst
- Target companies: Amazon, P&G, Deloitte, Unilever, Flipkart
- Starting range: ₹5–12 LPA
04 · Risk Management
Protecting the downside
You identify, measure, and help manage the credit, market, and operational risks a bank or financial institution is exposed to — building models and frameworks that keep the firm stable.
- Skills: Risk analysis, Statistics & probability, Financial markets knowledge, Excel, Data analysis
- Path: B.Com/BBA, then FRM (Financial Risk Manager)
- Roles: Risk Analyst · Credit Risk Analyst · Market Risk Analyst
- Target companies: HSBC, Citi, JPMorgan, Standard Chartered, Axis Bank
- Starting range: ₹5–10 LPA
05 · Valuation & Deal Advisory
Independent judgement on what things are worth
You value companies, brands, and assets — for M&A, financial reporting, disputes, or tax purposes — and advise clients through the transaction process. Similar toolkit to IB, but typically better work-life balance and broader deal exposure.
- Skills: DCF & valuation methods, Financial modelling, Accounting, Excel, Client communication
- Path: B.Com/BBA, then CFA or ACCA
- Roles: Valuation Analyst · Deal Advisory Analyst · Transaction Analyst
- Target companies: EY, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, BDO India
- Starting range: ₹5–12 LPA