CA Industrial Training at Goldman Sachs — Controllers Division, India and How to Apply

Goldman Sachs is one of the most prestigious employers in global financial services — and one of the most sought-after destinations for CA industrial training in India. The firm’s India operations, based primarily in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, are among the largest outside its New York headquarters, making India a genuinely important part of Goldman Sachs’s global business rather than just a support centre.

The CA Industrial Training programme at Goldman Sachs is in the Controllers Division — the firm’s internal financial control and reporting function. This guide covers what Goldman Sachs does in India, what the Controllers Division actually involves, who should apply, and how to get in.

Before reading further, confirm you meet the basic ICAI eligibility requirements for industrial training. Read our complete CA Industrial Training guide for the full eligibility criteria and Form 104 process.

About Goldman Sachs and Its India Operations

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company founded in 1869, headquartered in New York. The firm operates across investment banking, securities, asset management, and wealth management, serving corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals globally.

Goldman Sachs’s India operations are headquartered in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with a presence in Mumbai. Together, the Bengaluru and Hyderabad offices represent the firm’s second-largest presence globally — a fact that underlines how central India has become to Goldman Sachs’s worldwide operations. The India offices house teams across Controllers, Risk, Technology, Operations, and other divisions that support the firm’s global business.

Goldman Sachs was named “Most Admired GCC of the Year” by The Economic Times at its inaugural ET GCC Annual Awards 2025 — a recognition of its two-decade impact on India’s Global Capability Centres ecosystem.

What is the Controllers Division at Goldman Sachs?

Understanding what the Controllers Division does is essential before deciding whether Goldman Sachs IT is right for your career goals.

According to Goldman Sachs’s official description, Controllers manages the firm’s financial and regulatory obligations in accordance with rules and regulations governing worldwide financial markets. As a global team, Controllers is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the firm’s financial and regulatory information by complying with the rules and regulations governing financial markets worldwide.

Beyond compliance, Controllers plays a strategic role: it manages both internal and external financial reporting, and its expertise contributes to the firm’s business planning decisions around the allocation of scarce financial resources such as capital and balance sheet. The division partners with the business in providing advice on accounting, valuation, capital, liquidity, reputational risk, and other regulatory considerations when executing business with clients.

For CA students, this description is significant. Controllers at Goldman Sachs is not a back-office administrative function — it is a strategic finance and control function that advises on accounting, valuation, and regulatory considerations at the highest level of a global investment bank.

What CA Industrial Trainees Work On in Goldman Sachs Controllers

The Controllers Division IT programme is described by Goldman Sachs as offering hands-on exposure in a professional finance environment, working alongside experienced industry professionals. Based on the nature of the Controllers Division as described by Goldman Sachs, work in this division typically spans:

• Financial and regulatory reporting — ensuring the accuracy of financial statements and regulatory reports across the firm’s India and global operations, in compliance with the rules of financial markets regulators
• Business planning support — contributing to decisions on the allocation of capital and balance sheet resources by providing financial analysis and reporting
• Accounting and valuation advisory — working with business teams on accounting treatment, valuation, and regulatory considerations for client transactions
• Capital and liquidity management — understanding how the firm manages its capital resources, liquidity, and balance sheet in accordance with regulatory requirements
• Reputational and regulatory risk — exposure to how regulatory risk is assessed and managed at a global systemically important financial institution

Note: Goldman Sachs’s IT programme is an off-cycle programme. The specific work assigned to any individual trainee depends on the team they join within Controllers, which varies by intake. Always verify the specific role scope directly with Goldman Sachs when applying.

Who Should Apply for CA Industrial Training at Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs describes its Controllers programme as ideal for individuals who want to work and learn within a strong culture of teamwork and collaboration. Based on openings posted on BuddingCA and Goldman Sachs’s own careers portal, here is the profile that suits this programme:

• CA students eligible for industrial training as per ICAI guidelines — the posted eligibility has varied across openings, so always check the current posting for the specific requirement
• Strong academic background — Goldman Sachs is highly competitive and strong CA Inter performance is expected regardless of the stated minimum
• Genuine interest in financial control, regulatory reporting, and global financial services as a post-qualification career direction
• Attention to detail and analytical precision — Controllers work is accuracy-oriented and rigorous
• Willingness to be based in Bengaluru or Hyderabad — Goldman Sachs’s India IT programme is based across both locations
• Clear CA Final exam timeline — confirm this upfront during the selection process

Goldman Sachs allows applicants to apply to up to 4 separate business and location combinations in any given recruiting year — making it possible to apply for Controllers in both Bengaluru and Hyderabad in the same cycle.

Why CA Industrial Training at Goldman Sachs is Good for Your Career

Goldman Sachs is one of the most globally recognised employer brands in finance. Having it on your CV as an industrial trainee immediately differentiates you from other CA Final candidates — particularly when applying for roles in investment banking, global financial services, financial control, and corporate finance at large listed companies post-qualification.

The Controllers Division exposure is specifically valuable for three reasons. First, you work in the financial control function of a global systemically important bank — the regulatory complexity, reporting standards, and control rigour at Goldman Sachs are at a level that very few CA students encounter during industrial training. Second, the advisory dimension of Controllers — providing accounting and valuation advice to the business — gives you exposure to how financial expertise is applied to real business decisions at the highest level. Third, the professional environment at Goldman Sachs — the standards expected, the calibre of colleagues, and the global context — accelerates professional development in ways that are difficult to replicate elsewhere.

For CA Final preparation, the financial reporting and regulatory control work in Goldman Sachs Controllers directly supports the Advanced Auditing and Financial Reporting papers. The capital and liquidity management exposure also supports the Financial Risk Management elective for students considering that pathway.

Goldman Sachs vs Other Financial Services IT Options

Note: Stipend figures have been intentionally excluded from this table as they are not publicly disclosed by most of these companies. Always confirm stipend directly with each company during the selection process.

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are the two most prestigious global financial services IT destinations for CA students in India. Goldman Sachs is across Bengaluru and Hyderabad while Morgan Stanley is in Mumbai — meaning you can apply to both without conflict. For students targeting global financial services careers, applying to both simultaneously is a sensible approach.

Stipend and Location Details

How to Apply for CA Industrial Training at Goldman Sachs

• Check the latest Goldman Sachs IT openings on BuddingCA: CA Industrial Trainee at Goldman Sachs — Controllers Division
• Apply directly through Goldman Sachs’s official careers portal at higher.gs.com — search for Industrial Trainee openings in India
• Follow BuddingCA’s Industrial Training listings for new Goldman Sachs openings as they are posted
• Goldman Sachs allows up to 4 applications across different business and location combinations — you can apply for Controllers in both Bengaluru and Hyderabad in the same cycle if openings are available in both
• Do not create multiple email addresses to apply for additional roles — Goldman Sachs’s system will auto-withdraw additional applications made through multiple accounts
• Your CV must highlight: CA Inter groups cleared, articleship firm and specific work done, financial analysis or audit experience, and CA Final exam timeline
• Prepare for Goldman Sachs’s selection process — expect online assessments and multiple interview rounds including technical finance questions focused on financial reporting and accounting concepts

For interview preparation, visit our CA Interview Questions section.

Latest Goldman Sachs and Financial Services CA Industrial Training Openings

• CA Industrial Trainee at Goldman Sachs — Controllers Division
• All CA Industrial Training openings on BuddingCA
• CA openings in Bangalore
• CA Industrial Training at BCG — for comparison
• CA Industrial Training at CRISIL — financial services alternative
• Complete CA Industrial Training eligibility and application guide
• Best companies for CA industrial training — full comparison
• CA Industrial Training vs Articleship — which is right for you?

Join our WhatsApp community of 10,000+ CA students to get new Goldman Sachs and other IT openings the moment they are posted.

FAQs

What does the Controllers Division at Goldman Sachs actually do?

The Controllers Division manages Goldman Sachs’s financial and regulatory obligations globally. It is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the firm’s financial and regulatory information, managing both internal and external financial reporting, and providing advice to the business on accounting, valuation, capital, liquidity, and regulatory considerations. Controllers is described by Goldman Sachs as a strategic function — not just a reporting team — that plays a role in business planning decisions around capital and balance sheet allocation. For CA students, this means the work goes beyond routine compliance into genuinely advisory territory.

Can I apply for Goldman Sachs IT in both Bengaluru and Hyderabad?

Yes. Goldman Sachs allows applicants to apply to up to 4 separate business and location combinations in any given recruiting year. If Controllers IT openings are available in both Bengaluru and Hyderabad, you can apply to both in the same cycle. Do not create multiple email addresses — additional applications made through different accounts will be automatically withdrawn by Goldman Sachs’s system.

How competitive is Goldman Sachs IT compared to BCG IT?

Both are highly competitive but differ in what they look for. BCG’s published eligibility explicitly requires first-attempt clearance at both CA Foundation and Inter level, plus Big 4 articleship. Goldman Sachs’s stated eligibility has been less restrictive in recent postings — but the actual selection is competitive given the firm’s prestige. BCG’s IT is in management consulting while Goldman Sachs Controllers is in financial control and reporting — they lead to different career paths and should be evaluated based on your career direction, not just prestige.

How is Goldman Sachs IT different from HDFC Bank or Kotak IT for a banking career?

Goldman Sachs Controllers gives you exposure to global investment banking finance operations — regulatory reporting, capital management, and accounting advisory at a global systemically important bank. HDFC Bank and Kotak give you exposure to Indian retail and corporate banking operations — credit, domestic compliance, and local regulatory reporting. If your career goal is global financial services or investment banking, Goldman Sachs is the stronger choice. If your goal is Indian banking — corporate banking, retail banking, or domestic financial services — HDFC Bank or Kotak is more directly relevant.