Startup & Venture Capital Lawyersin Hyderabad,from first cheque to exit.

For most startups planning to raise equity funding, a private limited company is the usual choice. It can issue equity and preference shares and grant ESOPs, which investors expect.

An LLP has lighter compliance but cannot issue shares or ESOPs. The right answer depends on your funding plans, sector and where your investors are based, and we will recommend one in the first consultation.

Ideally before incorporation, and certainly before anyone works on the business for meaningful time or money. It records equity, vesting, roles, IP ownership and what happens if a founder leaves.

Investors will ask for it at diligence, and drafting it later, when relationships are strained, is far harder.

Typically: incorporation and statutory records, a clean cap table, IP assignments, customer and vendor contracts, employment documents, ESOP records, tax and compliance filings, and details of any disputes.

We can run a pre-diligence review so gaps are fixed before investors find them.

Companies can grant ESOPs to eligible employees after board and shareholder approvals and following the prescribed rules. Founders and promoters are generally restricted, though there is a relaxation for eligible DPIIT-recognised startups.

Eligibility and tax treatment depend on your facts, so we review these before a plan is adopted.

Foreign investment must comply with FEMA: sector and pricing rules, and reporting to the RBI within prescribed timelines after issue of shares. Getting this wrong can hold up later rounds.

We handle the structuring, documents and filings, and coordinate with your chartered accountant.

Standard work such as incorporation, founders' agreements and ESOP plans is available at fixed fees. Financing and M&A work is scoped after we understand the deal.

In every case, fees are agreed in writing before work starts. Ongoing needs can be covered by a SIRI Shield monthly retainer.

No. We are based in Hyderabad and meet founders there in person, and we work with founders across India and abroad remotely. Most startup and venture work is document- and call-driven, so location rarely limits what we can do.

DPIIT recognition can bring tax and compliance benefits, including relaxed rules for ESOP grants to certain promoters. It is not mandatory to operate.

Under the notification in effect since February 2026, recognition generally covers private companies, LLPs, partnerships and now cooperative societies within 10 years of incorporation and below ₹200 crore turnover, with a separate “deep tech” category (20 years, ₹300 crore) for ventures with long R&D timelines. These thresholds can change, so we confirm current eligibility before you apply.

This is usually governed by your founders' agreement or the company's articles, through a buy-back, right of first refusal or drag-along clause. Purely contractual disagreements under that agreement can often be arbitrated if it says so.

If the dispute instead amounts to oppression or mismanagement of the company, that claim generally falls under the Companies Act and is handled by the NCLT, which Indian courts currently treat as the exclusive forum for it rather than something an arbitration clause can cover. We review what you have in place and advise on the realistic route for your situation.

Yes. Contractor and employment arrangements with people outside India raise separate questions on taxation, data transfer and enforceability, which we build into the documents from the start.

It is a monthly arrangement for startups with recurring legal needs, such as contract reviews, quick queries and ongoing compliance, in place of billing each small matter separately. Scope and fee are agreed in writing before it starts.

Yes, alongside the central-level filings. Most employers in Telangana need to register under the Telangana Shops and Establishments Act and pay Telangana Professional Tax, and companies incorporated here are registered with the Registrar of Companies, Hyderabad.

If you are engaging with the local startup ecosystem, for example through an incubator such as T-Hub, that is separate from these statutory registrations and does not replace them. We can tell you exactly what applies to your entity type and stage.