Stratfield Partners, a strategic advisory firm specialising in strategic communications, public affairs, and government relations, has appointed USP Yadav as Senior Advisor for Regulatory Standards and Certification.  Yadav brings to the firm 35 years of expertise built at the heart of India's national standards infrastructure, strengthening Stratfield's specialist practice serving businesses that operate within India's regulatory and certification framework.USP Yadav served at the Bureau of Indian Standards for 35 years, recently retiring as Scientist G and Deputy Director General. During his tenure, he led conformity assessment operations across India, designed multiple pioneering certification schemes, and contributed to technical regulation policy at the inter-ministerial level.He represented India in international standards bodies including ISO CASCO WG36, ISO TC 176, ISO TC 309, and ISO TC 262, and has conducted over 2,500 audits spanning chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, cement, textiles, and engineering products. As Head of BIS's Southern Region, Yadav oversaw conformity assessment and certification operations spanning multiple states, leading one of the bureau's largest regional business units. He has served as Member Secretary for Standards Formulation committees covering cosmetics, fragrances, bitumen, and tar products, and has contributed to drafting sustainability auditing standards, ESG reporting frameworks, and the Indian Standard on Drinking Water Supply Management Systems. He is an Advanced Certified ESG Practitioner and continues to participate actively in national and ISO standards committees.Muneeb Ansari, Founding Partner, Stratfield Partners, said: "We are very pleased to welcome USP Yadav to Stratfield Partners. Regulatory and certification strategy has become one of the most consequential areas of counsel for businesses operating in India today. Quality Control Orders, BIS certification requirements, and technical standards are no longer back-office compliance questions. They are strategic ones. USP brings something genuinely rare: 35 years inside BIS, at its highest levels, with direct experience designing the very frameworks our clients must navigate."USP Yadav, Senior Advisor, Regulatory Standards and Certification, Stratfield Partners, said: "Having spent 35 years building and administering India's regulatory and certification infrastructure from within BIS, I look forward to applying that experience on behalf of businesses seeking to operate responsibly and competitively in this environment. Regulatory conformity is not simply about compliance. It is about positioning. I am glad to be associated with a firm that understands and advises on that distinction."USP Yadav's association with Stratfield Partners comes at a time of growing demand for specialist regulatory counsel, as the Government of India continues to expand its technical regulation framework through Quality Control Orders across sectors including electronics, chemicals, food products, medical devices, and construction materials. Businesses operating in or entering the Indian market increasingly require senior-level guidance on BIS certification, standards formulation, and regulatory risk.

Stratfield Partners has announced its expansion into the Gulf region with the appointment of Suhail Shaikh as Partner, strengthening the firm’s presence across Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC market.Headquartered in Mumbai, Stratfield Partners specialises in public affairs, government relations, regulatory advisory and strategic communications.Shaikh will lead the firm’s advisory operations from Saudi Arabia, overseeing engagements across Bahrain, the UAE and other Gulf markets. He brings nearly two decades of experience advising government bodies and enterprise organisations across the region on strategy, partnerships and stakeholder engagement.Announcing the appointment, Muneeb Ansari said the Gulf expansion had been a strategic priority for the firm.“Building a serious advisory presence in the Gulf has been a priority for us, and Suhail is exactly the kind of partner you want leading that effort. He brings two decades of experience across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, along with relationships that truly matter,” Ansari said.Shaikh said the region increasingly values senior-led and relationship-driven advisory models.“The Gulf has always been a market where relationships and credibility open more doors than credentials alone. Having spent two decades building both across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, joining Stratfield Partners feels like a natural next step,” he said.“The firm’s independent and outcome-focused approach aligns closely with what sophisticated clients in this region are looking for.”The move marks Stratfield Partners’ latest step in building a stronger international advisory footprint amid growing business and policy engagement between India and the Gulf region.