Here’s a concise, practical comparison of KPMG India vs EY India to help you understand differences and pick between them depending on your needs.

What they are (similarities)

• Both are Big Four professional services firms operating in India, offering audit, tax, advisory/consulting, transaction advisory, risk & regulatory, and related services to large corporates, governments, and mid-market clients.
• Both have nationwide offices and global networks, enabling cross-border work and access to sector specialists.
• Both recruit heavily from campuses and have structured graduate/experienced-hire programs, with strong training and career-path frameworks.

How they commonly differ (high-level)

• Brand/market perception: EY and KPMG are both top-tier; EY is frequently associated with a stronger global consulting and transaction-advisory emphasis, while KPMG is often perceived as particularly strong in audit and tax advisory in several sectors. Perceptions vary by market and over time.
• Consulting footprint: EY Global has invested heavily in advisory/consulting (including strategies like acquisitions and EY-Parthenon). KPMG also has a substantial advisory practice, but in many markets EY’s consulting arm is larger.
• Industry/specialist strengths: Differences are nuanced and sector-specific — one firm may be stronger in financial services in a given city while the other leads in consumer or infrastructure work. Local market dynamics and partner relationships matter more than the global brand for many engagements.
• Culture and working style: Both firms are professional and fast-paced, but internal cultures can differ by office/team—EY often highlights a strong coaching and people-development focus; KPMG stresses technical depth and rigorous audit/tax capabilities. Individual team/leader fit matters far more than firm-level stereotypes.
• Pricing and engagement model: Comparable in many cases; final price and scope depend on engagement size, complexity, and chosen model (e.g., fixed-fee vs time & materials). KPMG and EY can be competitive with each other on major mandates.

When to prefer one over the other

• Choose EY India if you need:
  • Large-scale advisory/consulting or transformation work with deep global integration.
  • Broad M&A, transaction diligence, and strategy-advisory capabilities tied to implementation.
  • A vendor with strong emphasis on digital/technology-driven consulting in some sectors.
• Choose KPMG India if you need:
  • Deep audit/tax technical expertise and rigorous compliance-driven engagements.
  • Sector-specific technical advisory where KPMG has a recognized practice locally.
  • Potentially more hands-on technical tax structuring or specialized risk & compliance work.

Practical tips for choosing between them

1. Define the outcome: audit, tax compliance, M&A due diligence, digital transformation, or ongoing advisory—firms’ strengths differ by service line.
2. Ask for partner-level CVs and references for similar engagements in India — check local case studies and delivery teams.
3. Evaluate team fit: meet the engagement partners/senior directors to check industry experience, locality, and working style.
4. Check pricing models and SLAs (timelines, deliverables, escalation paths).
5. Consider independence/conflicts (important for audit or transaction work).
6. For long-term transformation, check their India delivery/resourcing model and ability to scale.

Risks and caveats

• Big Four firms are similar in capability; local partner relationships, team quality, and previous client outcomes often matter more than firm label.
• Regulatory, market positions, and leadership can change—verify any firm-specific claims (rankings, headcount, leadership) on current public sources if that matters to your decision.

If you tell me what you need them for (audit, tax, M&A, digital transformation, recruiting, etc.), I can give a tailored recommendation and checklist for comparing proposals.