The Spark Behind the Strategy

For Mahua Gorthi, the founder of Ladderstep Human Consulting Pvt. Ltd., entrepreneurship was never just about business. It was a mission born from compassion, witnessed firsthand in her formative years.

“Growing up, I saw the traumatic effects of employees from middle-class backgrounds losing their jobs—something that could have been prevented,” Mahua recalls. “While I empathized with the employers’ need for productivity, I couldn’t ignore the devastating impact on families.”

This dual empathy—towards both business owners and employees—would eventually form the bedrock of her company’s philosophy: bridging the gap between organizational expectations and workforce performance through strategic human resource transformation.

An Unconventional Path to Building HR Excellence

Before launching Ladderstep, Mahua began her entrepreneurial journey as a soft skills trainer and recruitment specialist. But her natural ability to connect deeply with clients unveiled a critical market gap: the HR infrastructure in India’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) was fundamentally underdeveloped.

“Most SMEs evolve from small setups. Their HR departments often originate from admin or accounting roles and are ill-equipped to scale with the company’s growth,” she explains. “As a result, attrition, hiring costs, and employee disengagement skyrocket.”

Mahua saw an opportunity not just to provide transactional HR services, but to transform how HR is perceived and practiced—shifting it from a back-office function to a strategic pillar of business success.

What Ladderstep Brings to the Table

Operating with a clear industry-agnostic framework, Ladderstep’s offerings cover a comprehensive spectrum of HR needs. From creating robust performance management systems to training HR departments and senior leadership, Mahua’s team acts as both consultant and catalyst.

Here’s a snapshot of what they offer:

• Leadership vision & values documentation

• Custom HR procedure manuals

• Performance Management System (PMS) development

• Conflict management training for mid & senior leaders

• HR and employee upskilling

• Recruitment, staffing & payroll services

What truly sets Ladderstep apart, though, is their deep commitment to India’s underserved SME sector—especially in industries like manufacturing, construction, and trading, where HR is often overlooked.

“Unlike many consultants who focus on MNCs or IT firms, we’ve carved a niche by bringing in domain experts who speak the language of mid-sized companies,” says Mahua.

Bootstrapped and Battle-Tested

Building a consultancy model outside the mainstream came with its fair share of hurdles. Mahua admits that financial support was scarce, and bootstrapping was the only path forward.

“We had to rely on personal savings and support from friends. There were a lot of trial-and-error phases, which cost us both time and money,” she says candidly. “It took us 8 years of perseverance to reach where we are today.”

This phase also tested her resilience and belief in the value of patient, principle-driven entrepreneurship—a lesson she shares generously with aspiring founders.

“Stick with your vision even if others don’t immediately get it. Eventually, your work will speak for itself.”

Scaling Up and Looking Beyond Borders

Today, Ladderstep is on an expansion path. The company has begun serving clients outside its home base of Hyderabad and is attracting attention from international markets, including Kuwait, Malaysia, and South Sudan.

The company’s five-year roadmap is ambitious yet grounded:

• Build a team of 50 HR strategy experts

• Launch an online platform to automate process-driven HR services

• Reduce attrition rates by 10% YoY for 500 companies

• Open offices in major Indian cities and select global locations

And while Mahua humbly states, “We believe we are still a work in progress,” the trajectory speaks volumes.

Values that Drive the Vision

A recurring theme in Mahua’s story is her relentless commitment to learning. With certifications ranging from NLP and leadership coaching to ESG consultancy, she believes in evolving alongside the ever-changing HR landscape.

“My work is centered around this belief that less is more. In fact, I now describe my work in 10 words: ‘I transform company HRs to strategic departments nurturing passionate employees.’”

This clarity of purpose, she says, stems from her roots. “I used to listen, starry-eyed, to my grandfather talk about India rising to her potential. My father mentored people one by one into their best selves. It’s what I do now—only at scale.”

Advice for the Next Generation of Founders

Mahua doesn’t romanticize the startup grind. She acknowledges the sacrifices but also encourages founders to believe deeply in their ‘why.’

“Your journey will test your resolve in ways you can’t imagine. But if your mission is rooted in solving a real problem, you will find your way—even if it takes time.”

For those entering the consulting or HR space, her message is clear: Don’t just follow trends. Find where the real pain points lie—and commit to solving them authentically.

Connect with Mahua Gorthi & Ladderstep

Ladderstep Human Consulting is more than a service provider—it’s a movement to professionalize and humanize HR for India’s most dynamic but underserved business segment.

To learn more, collaborate, or simply stay inspired, here’s where you can connect:

• 🌐 Website: www.theladderconsulting.com

• 💼 LinkedIn (Mahua Gorthi): linkedin.com/in/mahuagorthi

• 📸 Instagram: @mahuagorthi

Call to Action:
 If you're an SME founder, HR professional, or business leader looking to align your people strategy with business growth, it’s time to step up with Ladderstep. Transform your HR, transform your business.