What Is the Deal Network? India's CA and CS Dealmaker Network
The Deal Network is a free, WhatsApp-first network of verified chartered accountants and company secretaries in India, connected to the bankers, NBFCs and funds that do deals. It profiles each member and introduces the right advisor to the right counterparty, so CAs and CSs can do more deals for their clients.
We built it around a simple observation: the people who know India's business owners best are often not the people who can reach the capital. This post explains what the Deal Network is, who is on it, how it works and the rules its members follow.
At a glance
India had about 4.23 lakh active CAs on 1 April 2025, of whom 1,54,552 were in full-time practice (ICAI, 2025).
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India has over 78,000 members (ANI, 2026).
7.83 crore enterprises are registered on the Udyam portal (PIB, 2026).
SEBI listed 235 registered merchant bankers in September 2025 (SEBI, 2025).
Only 41% of registered MSMEs had accessed formal credit, according to the July 2026 MSME Pulse (TransUnion CIBIL and SIDBI, 2026).
Why did we build the Deal Network?
Most MSME deals in India start with a conversation between an owner and his CA or CS. The owner wants to borrow, raise money, sell or buy. The advisor knows the business well. What the advisor often lacks is a direct line to the right lender, fund or buyer.
On the other side, bankers and fund managers want good, smaller companies, but they cannot reach thousands of advisors one at a time. The Deal Network closes that gap. It does not replace the advisor. It connects him.
"Most MSME deals are won or lost on who you know. A CA or CS already knows the owner. What they have lacked is a simple way to reach the other side of the table, and that is what a network should fix." Adish Bharadwaj R, co-founder, the Deal Network
For the longer argument on why CAs make good dealmakers, read why chartered accountants in India make excellent deal makers. For how a network differs from a listing marketplace, see network versus marketplace.
Who is on the Deal Network?
The Deal Network brings together both sides of a deal: the advisors who know the business owners, and the institutions that provide capital or buy companies.
| Member | Who they are | What they usually look for |
|---|---|---|
| CAs and CSs | Practising chartered accountants and company secretaries who work with MSME owners | Lenders, buyers and investors for their clients' deals |
| Investment and merchant bankers | Boutique investment bankers, M&A advisors and SEBI-registered merchant bankers | Well-prepared companies, including SME IPO candidates |
| Banks and NBFCs | Credit and business teams | Borrowers that fit their lending appetite |
| PE, VC and family offices | Fund managers and family office teams | Companies that fit their sector and cheque size |
What do CAs and CSs do on the Deal Network?
On the Deal Network, CAs and CSs play the same role: dealmaker. Both work with MSME owners who want to raise a loan, raise equity, sell a stake or sell the company. Both can represent their clients directly with lenders, buyers and funds, or work alongside an investment banker or merchant banker when a deal needs one. Our MSME M&A playbook covers each of these avenues in more detail.
That is what a CA and CS dealmaker network is for. For company secretaries, it works the same way as a CS network: one place to reach the lenders, buyers and funds their clients need. It gives advisors who already know the owners a way to reach the other side of the table, and helps them turn those relationships into deals.
How does the Deal Network work?
Everything happens on WhatsApp, in six steps.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Join | Sign up through a short WhatsApp conversation. There is no app to install. |
| 2. Verification | CAs are checked against their ICAI membership number. CSs and institutions follow a separate verification process. |
| 3. Profile | Tell us your sectors, cities, deal sizes and deal types, and the kinds of companies you know. |
| 4. Matching | We match on sector first, then geography, then company size. Institutions are matched across India. |
| 5. Introduction | Each side first sees a short profile summary. The introduction happens only when both sides say yes. |
| 6. Feedback | After an introduction, both sides tell us whether the match was useful. This improves future matches. |
Matches arrive in batches rather than one message at a time, so members are not flooded with notifications.
Privacy and verification
Members can use the Deal Network without exposing their clients.
You never upload a client's company or documents.
You can say you know companies in a sector, for example ten healthcare companies in Coimbatore, without naming any of them.
Naming a company is optional. It is done only when the company has a live objective, such as raising a loan or selling, and only with the director's consent.
Your phone number and other personal details are never shared without your consent.
A network is only useful if members trust who else is on it. CAs are verified against their ICAI membership number. CSs and institutions, including banks, NBFCs, merchant bankers, advisory firms and funds, follow a separate verification process.
How can you connect with CAs in India?
For a banker, lender or fund, the hard part of reaching smaller companies is finding the advisors who know them. There are more than 1.5 lakh CAs in full-time practice, spread across the country (ICAI, 2025). Nobody can call them one by one.
On the Deal Network, you describe what you are looking for: a sector, a size range and, where it matters, a city. The Deal Network then surfaces CAs and CSs whose profiles fit, and the introduction happens once both sides agree. Institutions are matched across India, because a fund in Mumbai may well invest in a company in Madurai.
What does the Deal Network not do?
It does not act in deals. The Deal Network makes introductions; the advisors and their clients run the deal.
It does not take a cut. Joining is free, and no fees flow between the Deal Network and its CA or CS members.
It does not promise clients or deals. It improves the odds of the right introduction. The rest depends on the advisor and the deal.
The rules members follow
CAs and CSs join as professionals bound by their own rules, and the Deal Network is built around those rules.
Audit clients stay out. Section 144 of the Companies Act, 2013 bars a company's auditor from providing investment banking or investment advisory services to that company. Members use the Deal Network only for clients they advise on other matters.
No fee-sharing. Under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 and the Company Secretaries Act, 1980, members in practice cannot share their fees with non-members (Government of India, 1949; Government of India, 1980).
Client consent first. A client's information is shared only with the client's consent.
Factual profiles. Profiles describe a member's experience and focus. They are not advertisements.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Deal Network?
The Deal Network is a free, WhatsApp-first network that connects verified CAs and CSs in India with bankers, NBFCs and funds. It matches members on sector, geography and deal size, and introduces them so they can do deals for their clients.
How can I connect with CAs in India for deals?
Join the Deal Network and describe the sector, size and type of deal you are looking for. You will be matched with CAs and CSs whose profiles fit, and the introduction happens only when both sides agree.
What do CAs and CSs do on the Deal Network?
Both act as dealmakers. They help MSME owners raise loans or equity, or sell a stake or the company, either by representing the client directly with lenders, buyers and funds, or by working alongside an investment banker or merchant banker.
Is the Deal Network free for CAs and CSs?
Yes. Joining and using the Deal Network is free in the current phase, and no fees flow between the Deal Network and its CA or CS members.
Do I have to share client details to join?
No. You describe the kinds of companies you know, not the companies themselves. Naming a company is optional and needs the client's consent.
Can a CA use the Deal Network for an audit client?
No. Section 144 of the Companies Act, 2013 bars an auditor from providing investment banking or investment advisory services to a company it audits. Members use the Deal Network only for clients they advise on other matters.
Getting started
You can build a free profile on WhatsApp in one short conversation. If you already have a deal in mind, you can request an introduction.
Disclaimer
This article is for information only and is not investment advice. It does not apply to audit clients: under Section 144 of the Companies Act, 2013, a company's auditor cannot provide investment banking or investment advisory services to that company, its parent company or the companies under its control, whether directly or indirectly. CAs and CSs in practice must also follow the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 and the codes of conduct of ICAI and ICSI.
The Deal Network is a free, WhatsApp-first introduction platform that connects chartered accountants and company secretaries with bankers, NBFCs and funds based on their profiles.
References
ANI (2026) 'ICSI elects its new President and Vice President for the year 2026', ANI News, 20 January.
Government of India (1949) The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949: First and Second Schedules. New Delhi: Government of India.
Government of India (1980) The Company Secretaries Act, 1980: First Schedule. New Delhi: Government of India.
ICAI (2025) 76th Annual Report 2024–25. New Delhi: Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
PIB (2026) Over 7.83 crore enterprises registered on Udyam Registration Portal. New Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Government of India.
SEBI (2025) SEBI Bulletin, October 2025: Table 2, SEBI registered market intermediaries/institutions. Mumbai: Securities and Exchange Board of India.
TransUnion CIBIL and SIDBI (2026) MSME Pulse, July 2026. Mumbai: TransUnion CIBIL.
About the author
The author, Adish Bharadwaj R, is a co-founder of the Deal Network, and has 10+ years of experience in investment banking.