Manisha Baid

Bengaluru - July 2025 – Present.

Role Overview: Directing financial operations and statutory governance for a high-growth, VC-backed quick-commerce startup. Reporting to the Senior Leadership or CFO, overseeing a team of six to manage the financial health of the organization through rapid scale-up.

Key Fundraising and Strategic Impact:

• Series A Facilitation: Played a key role in the financial due diligence for the $23M Series A funding round (led by Accel and RTP Global), resulting in a post-money valuation of $120M (₹1,050 Cr) within three months of launch.
• Investor Reporting: Manage monthly reporting and financial disclosures for a marquee investor group, including Accel, RTP Global, and Blume Ventures, ensuring high transparency and data integrity.
• Due Diligence Management: Lead end-to-end vendor and financial due diligence, reviewing complex contracts, and identifying compliance risks to safeguard the company’s capital.
• Capital Allocation: Oversee the budgeting and variance analysis for the expansion of 35+ dark stores, optimizing cash flow to support aggressive, city-wide scaling.

Operational Leadership:

• Financial Governance: Driving 100% accuracy in Accounts Payable (AP) and Receivable (AR) by implementing automated GRN–invoice matching, and rigorous internal controls.
• Tax & Audit Compliance: Spearhead statutory and internal audits, maintaining zero-defect records in GST compliance, and regulatory filings.

Hyderabad, India | June 2022 – February 2024

• Capital Acquisition: Orchestrated the successful acquisition of a ₹50 Crore investment from Graphite India Limited to accelerate Giga-scale Manufacturing and R&D initiatives.
• Due Diligence Leadership: Directed two comprehensive due diligence cycles with EY and KPMG, resolving complex financial analysis hurdles and ensuring full regulatory and reporting compliance.
• Costing & Margin Optimization: Developed sophisticated region-wise and product-wise costing models to track standard vs. actual cost variances, providing the visibility needed to drive profitability improvements.
• Working Capital Efficiency: Enhanced liquidity and cash flow predictability by integrating revenue projections with collection forecasts, resulting in an optimized DSO.
• Strategic Reporting: Partnered with cross-functional leadership to align financial health with operational milestones, ensuring R&D scaling remained within budgetary frameworks.

Hyderabad | [Previous Dates]

• Investment Acquisition: Successfully led the acquisition of a ₹50 Crore investment from Graphite India Limited to support Giga-scale Manufacturing and R&D.
• Due Diligence Mastery: Directed two comprehensive due diligence cycles with EY and KPMG, resolving complex financial analysis and compliance evaluations.
• Costing & Margins: Developed region-wise and product-wise costing models to monitor standard vs. actual costs, significantly improving profitability tracking.
• Working Capital: Optimized DSO and liquidity by integrating revenue projections with collection forecasts, improving cash flow predictability.

Fundscoop Advisers
Partner in Charge — Delhi Office
(January 2020 – April 2022)

Controllership & Compliance:
Provided end-to-end controllership support for manufacturing clients and early-stage startups, including financial reporting, monthly closures, and compliance with GST, TDS, and statutory regulations.

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A):
Prepared annual budgets, rolling forecasts, and monthly variance reports. Delivered actionable insights to founders and promoters to support strategic decision-making and fund planning.

Costing & Profitability:
Implemented cost control systems, monitored standard vs. actual costing in manufacturing setups, and conducted margin analysis to improve product-level profitability.

MIS & Investor Reporting:
Developed customized MIS dashboards for promoters and investor presentations highlighting KPIs, cash burn, cost drivers, and runway forecasts.

Process Optimization & Internal Controls:
Designed internal financial controls and SOPs tailored for scaling startups and SMEs. Streamlined processes for procure-to-pay (P2P) and order-to-cash (O2C) cycles to enhance efficiency and reduce leakage.

Due Diligence & Fund-Raising Support:
Assisted in financial due diligence, data room preparation, and audits for fundraising rounds. Collaborated with legal and valuation teams to ensure financial accuracy and investor readiness.

Client Relationship & Advisory: Managed key client relationships, providing advisory services
including valuations and optimization of business operations.
Risk & Fraud Management: Skilled in risk assessment, forensic accounting, and fraud detection
to maintain financial integrity and mitigate risks.
Leadership & Team Development: Directed audit teams, mentored junior staff, and promoted
continuous professional development.
ERP & Tools Expertise:
Hands-on experience with SAP, Tally Prime, Excel (advanced), and PowerPoint for financial modeling, dashboards, and board-level reporting.

Documentation: Accurately document review procedures.

Industry Awareness: Stay updated on industry trends and technical issues.

Issue Identification: Spot and communicate potential review issues.

Collaboration: Work with seniors to set goals and responsibilities.

Substantive Testing: Perform tests on Cash, Receivables, PPE, and Inventory.

Fraud & Risk Analysis: Assess fraud risks and complex financial data.

Judgment & Skepticism: Apply independent judgment in audits.

Control Testing: Perform tests and create flowcharts using Visio.

Tie-Out Procedures: Execute tie-out for 10-K and 10-Q reports.

Technology Use: Enhance review techniques with technology.

Professional Standards: Uphold ethical standards and maintain confidentiality.

Improvement: Suggest process improvements and efficiencies.

Tax Management & Financial Reporting
Ensured accurate tax compliance and preparation of financial statements in line with Indian GAAP and statutory norms, supporting audit readiness and regulatory assurance.

Performance Analysis & Revenue Tracking
Led product-wise and region-wise performance analysis to identify growth areas, optimize pricing, and support revenue forecasting and strategic resource allocation.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Cost Control
Prepared and monitored annual budgets and rolling forecasts, with a strong focus on cost optimization, profitability enhancement, and alignment with strategic business goals.

CMA Reports & Bank Finance Support
Prepared Credit Monitoring Arrangement (CMA) reports to facilitate working capital and term loan approvals, integrating cash flow projections and financial ratios.

Financial Modeling for Decision Support
Built robust financial models for investor discussions, capital structuring, and business valuation scenarios including DCF, IRR, and sensitivity analysis.

Regulatory Compliance & Control Framework
Ensured end-to-end compliance with TDS, GST, Companies Act, and regulatory frameworks. Implemented internal controls and reconciliations for process accuracy and audit preparedness.

Strategic Financial Insights
Generated management dashboards and financial reports, translating numbers into insights for CXO-level decision-making and board presentations.

• Role Overview: Key Responsibilities:
• I completed my Article-ship training at M/s. Sewag & Company , a well-regarded Chartered Accountant firm specializing in statutory and internal audits, tax audits, and financial consulting. for corporates, SMEs, and trusts.
• I assisted in various audit and taxation tasks, gaining valuable practical experience in accounting, financial reporting, and tax compliance.
• This experience provided comprehensive exposure to auditing, tax compliance, and financial reporting, contributing significantly to my professional growth.