About Sterling · Group companies
Lakshy, Sterling, Effivity, Cyber Vantage 360 and Vegam AI: one group, one line of work since 2003.
Sterling International Consulting belongs to a group of five companies whose work in ISO implementation and certification consulting began in India in 2003. This page sets out who each company is, what it does and how the parts meet in a Sterling engagement.
- Lakshy: the heritageISO implementation and certification consulting in India since 2003, where the group's method began.
- Sterling: the consultancyGlobal GRC consulting across ISO management systems, ESG, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA and GDPR.
- Effivity: the softwareLow-code, no-code GRC and ISO automation, used in 50+ countries and included with every Sterling engagement.
- Cyber Vantage 360 and Vegam AICybersecurity and data privacy in the Philippines, and a business process automation platform launched in 2025.
The companies
Five companies, each with a defined job
The group grew outwards from a single discipline. Lakshy Management Consultant Pvt. Ltd. was founded in India in 2003 to implement ISO management systems and prepare organisations for certification. Sterling International Consulting carried that heritage into a global consultancy; its UAE entity was registered in 2012. Effivity Technologies followed in 2016 with software, Cyber Vantage 360 took on cybersecurity and data privacy work in the Philippines, and Vegam AI launched in 2025.
Each company has a clear remit, so a client knows which one it is dealing with and why. Consulting sits with Lakshy and Sterling, specialist security and privacy work with Cyber Vantage 360, and software with Effivity and Vegam AI.
- Lakshy Management Consultant Pvt. Ltd.: India, founded 2003
- Sterling International Consulting: UAE entity registered 2012, group heritage since 2003
- Effivity Technologies (2016), Cyber Vantage 360 (Philippines) and Vegam AI (2025)
What each company does
From ISO consulting to GRC software and process automation
Lakshy works in ISO implementation and certification consulting, the discipline the group started with. Sterling International Consulting is the group's global GRC consultancy: ISO management systems, integrated management systems, ESG, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA and GDPR. Cyber Vantage 360, based in the Philippines, concentrates on cybersecurity, data privacy, ISO/IEC 27001, PCI DSS and HIPAA.
On the software side, Effivity Technologies builds low-code, no-code GRC and ISO automation software, now used in 50+ countries. Vegam AI is the group's business process automation platform, launched in 2025. Of the two, Effivity is the one Sterling clients meet directly, because it comes with every Sterling engagement.
- Consulting: ISO, integrated management systems, ESG, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA and GDPR
- Specialist work: cybersecurity, data privacy, ISO/IEC 27001, PCI DSS and HIPAA
- Software: GRC and ISO automation, and business process automation
In your engagement
How the group shows up when you work with Sterling
When you engage Sterling, a Sterling consultant leads the work. Sterling OS sets the level of support you choose: Design™, where we develop and you implement under our expert advice and supervision, or Drive™, where we design and build under your approval as a fully managed service. The two are alternatives; you pick the one that suits your team.
Once the system is running, Sustain™ supports you through surveillance and recertification audits, and Revise™ covers version transitions, scope expansion and new standards brought into an integrated management system. Automate™ runs the system on Effivity, which is included in every Sterling engagement at no additional cost.
- One engagement team from Sterling, in your region
- Design™ or Drive™, whichever support level fits your team
- Effivity included with the engagement, at no additional cost
What stays constant
The same method and the same limits across the group
The figures behind the group are the ones we use everywhere: 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, offices in 21 countries, a method in use since 2003 and Effivity used in 50+ countries. The work is carried out by expert and experienced consultants who guide management systems into place and prepare clients for an independent audit.
What does not change from one company to the next is the line between preparation and certification. No company in the group certifies, accredits or attests. Where your goal is a certificate or an attestation report, an accredited body audits your system and makes the decision.
- 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries
- Offices in 21 countries, and a method in use since 2003
- Effivity used in 50+ countries
Sterling does not certify. An accredited certification body audits your management system and decides on certification.
Client experience
On the record: what clients say about working with Sterling.
The chief compliance officer writes that the HIPAA and PCI DSS gap assessment gave a clear view of the company's compliance posture, existing controls and areas for improvement, helped it prioritise remediation and set clear action plans, and that the team's technical expertise, structured approach and practical recommendations made the assessment efficient and credible in supporting customer assurance requirements.
The operations director notes that the team understood both the compliance requirements and the company's day-to-day processing operations, and that the guidance and remediation plan improved how teams handle sensitive information across shifts and locations while strengthening compliance practice.
The director of IT infrastructure writes that Sterling's professionalism, patience and expertise helped the team work through the process with confidence, and that beyond compliance the consultants helped it understand the intent behind the standard, find improvement opportunities and strengthen the ISMS in a practical, sustainable way.
The ISO manager reports that the company was very pleased with the implementation approach, and that the consultants guided it to a close integration of its existing systems with the additional requirements of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
Each account is drawn from a signed letter or e-mail on file and reported in our words, with the signatory's role and organisation attached; the original letters are available on request. Ask for references in your sector before you decide.
- 60+countries where Sterling has delivered certification
- 21countries with a Sterling office, eight regions, one coordinated team
- 2003the year the group began implementing ISO management systems; the same method, refined, since
- 8,100+client engagements across the group, from single-site SMEs to multinationals
FAQs
Questions about the group companies
How Lakshy, Sterling, Effivity, Cyber Vantage 360 and Vegam AI relate, and what that means for a client.
Which companies make up the group?
Five: Lakshy Management Consultant Pvt. Ltd. (India, founded 2003), Sterling International Consulting (UAE entity registered 2012), Effivity Technologies (launched 2016), Cyber Vantage 360 (Philippines) and Vegam AI (launched 2025).
How are Lakshy and Sterling related?
Lakshy is where the group's ISO implementation and certification consulting began, in India in 2003. Sterling International Consulting carries that heritage as the group's global GRC consultancy, with its UAE entity registered in 2012.
Is Effivity part of a Sterling engagement?
Yes. Effivity, the group's low-code, no-code GRC and ISO automation software, is included in every Sterling engagement at no additional cost. It is used in 50+ countries.
What does Vegam AI do?
Vegam AI is the group's business process automation platform, launched in 2025. If you would like to know whether it fits your processes, ask your Sterling consultant or contact us and we will put you in touch.
Does any company in the group issue certificates?
No. The group implements management systems and prepares organisations for audit. An accredited certification body carries out the certification audit and decides whether to certify.
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