Co-founder vesting is the single cheapest insurance policy a startup can buy, and the one founders skip most often. Two people split the equity 50-50 on day one, shake hands, and start building. Eighteen months…
Key Takeaways Gross burn is the total cash you spend each month. Net burn is gross burn minus the cash you collect. Runway is built on net burn, not gross. Runway = current free cash…
Note: All section references in this article are to the Income-tax Act 2025 (effective April 1, 2026), which has re-enacted the corresponding provisions of the Income-tax Act 1961 without substantive change to the transfer pricing…
Key Takeaways ESOPs in India are not taxed at the time of grant. The tax event happens later. At exercise, the difference between Fair Market Value (FMV) and exercise price is taxed as perquisite (salary…
If your startup has ever explored raising foreign debt, or if your CA has advised foreign portfolio investors on Indian allocations, the compliance landscape just shifted. RBI's A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 05, dated April…
Your cap table is the single most important financial document in your startup. It determines who owns what, how much you dilute at each round, and whether your company passes due diligence when you actually…
A Fundamental Shift in AIF Compliance If you are involved with an Alternative Investment Fund in any capacity, whether as a fund manager, LP, or a startup receiving AIF investment, SEBI's March 4, 2026 circular…
What the IBC Amendment Bill 2025 Means for Your Business On March 10, 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025, marking the most significant restructuring of India's insolvency landscape…
A Landmark Shift in Indian M&A Financing On February 13, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India issued amendment directions that, for the first time, allow commercial banks to directly finance corporate acquisitions. Effective April 1,…
You want to retain your best people. You've heard about ESOPs. Maybe someone mentioned Phantom Stock. Your CA says "just do ESOPs" because that's what everyone does. Here's the problem: "what everyone does" is exactly…
