Chartered Accountant · ICAI M.No. 153926 · FRN 136869W
Priced to scope, not headcount
A Virtual CFO is usually a monthly retainer set by how much you need — a light engagement (monthly MIS and oversight) costs less than a deep one (full finance leadership, board reporting, fundraising). It flexes up around events like a funding round and down in steady periods.
The value comparison
The reason it makes sense is the comparison to a full-time CFO — a senior finance hire can cost ₹40–80 lakh a year, which a growing business can’t justify. A Virtual CFO delivers the same strategic input part-time, so you pay a fraction of that for the expertise you actually use. Because it’s scope-based, ask for a proposal mapped to your needs rather than a flat rate.
A worked example
Example: a ₹5 crore startup needs monthly MIS, cash-flow forecasting and fundraising support — a Virtual CFO covers it part-time for far less than a full-time hire, scaling up during the raise. A simpler business needing only oversight pays less. The cost tracks the work, so the starting point is defining what you need. See our Virtual CFO service; our team can scope an engagement for you.