HYDERABAD : Duff & Phelps, the global advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients, today announced the launch of a technology and innovation center at HITEC City in Hyderabad, India. The center will focus on software development, automation and innovation with a team of experienced software engineers, technologists and senior leaders. The state-of-the-art, 150-seater facility spread over 9,000 square feet joins the firm’s footprint of more than 85 offices serving clients across 28 cities worldwide.

“Duff & Phelps is moving to the forefront of innovation in the professional services sector to deliver maximum value to our clients,” said Brett Marschke, Chief Operating Officer, Duff & Phelps. “We continue to make significant investments in tech-enabled growth to transform processes, improve efficiency and maximize turnaround times.”

Duff & Phelps entered the Indian market with the acquisition of American Appraisal in 2015. In May 2018, the firm further expanded its Indian presence with the acquisition of Kroll, a leading provider of risk mitigation and corporate investigations services. Duff & Phelps is the largest independent valuation firm globally and serves some of India’s largest companies across information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services, retail, energy, healthcare, manufacturing and financial services, among others. Duff & Phelps is also a SEBI registered Category 1 merchant bank, enabling the firm to provide fairness opinions and a wider range of valuation services to listed companies in India. In addition to Hyderabad, the firm has a presence in Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru.

Commenting on the expansion, Varun Gupta, Managing Director and India Country Leader for Duff & Phelps, said, “Hyderabad is an important hub for our expansion strategy for India as well as for serving our global clients. In addition to the innovation center, the Hyderabad office will also service local clients in the areas of valuation, property tax, restructuring, fraud, investigations and due diligence. India is home to the third-largest Duff & Phelps team after New York and London. The expansion demonstrates the firm’s commitment to making India a vital component in our global growth strategy.”