If a fundraise, acquisition, or major partnership is anywhere on your horizon this year, this issue is about the audit worth running before someone else runs it on you.
Buyer-side legal diligence in Indian mid-market M&A has become noticeably more thorough on employment classification — specifically, long-term consultants functioning as de facto employees. This is now a standard diligence line item, not an edge case, and worth reviewing proactively if your business relies on consultant arrangements.
Due Diligence Red Flags: The Five Issues That Kill Deals in the Final Stretch →
The five issues that most often surface late in diligence and threaten deals already months into negotiation — and why a pre-diligence self-audit is the cheapest insurance a seller can buy.
If you're even loosely considering a fundraise or exit in the next 12-18 months, run a lightweight version of this audit now: related-party transactions, IP assignment status, lapsed filings, contingent liabilities, and consultant classification. Twenty minutes of honest review now beats a scramble in week eleven of diligence.
Q: We're not planning to raise or sell anytime soon — does this still apply to us?
Yes, for a simpler reason: these same five issues are exactly what create legal and financial risk even outside a deal context. Undisclosed related-party transactions and unassigned IP are problems whether or not a buyer ever looks at them.
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