Key Takeaways In India, ESOPs are taxed at two separate moments, not one: when you exercise the options, and later when you sell the shares. At exercise, the difference between the fair market value of…
The valuation on the front page of a startup term sheet is the number founders celebrate. The clauses on the pages behind it are what actually decide how much you walk away with. This guide…
Every founder thinks the raise starts with the pitch. It does not. It starts the moment an investor's analyst opens your data room and begins ticking boxes. That is where a term sheet quietly speeds…
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…
