India Startup
Advisory
From incorporation to Series A and beyond — comprehensive financial, legal, and compliance advisory for India's next generation of entrepreneurs.
India Startup Advisory
India's startup ecosystem is the third largest in the world — and growing rapidly. Yet many promising ventures stumble not because of their product or market, but because of flawed financial structures, compliance failures, or poorly executed fundraising processes. The right advisory partner from Day Zero makes a transformative difference.
At S.K. Vij & Associates, we bring chartered accountancy expertise, legal understanding, and hands-on startup experience to help founders build companies on solid financial and legal foundations. We have advised 100+ startups across sectors — from pre-revenue ideation-stage ventures to growth-stage companies raising Series A and B rounds.
We understand that startup founders are time-constrained, resource-limited, and focused on growth. Our job is to handle the financial complexity — so you can focus entirely on building your product and your team, without worrying about compliance gaps, investor red flags, or regulatory notices.
Our India Startup Advisory Services
Comprehensive services delivered by qualified Chartered Accountants with genuine domain expertise and Big 4 backgrounds.
Company Incorporation
Private Limited Company, LLP, OPC, or Section 8 — complete incorporation including name reservation, MOA/AOA drafting, DIN, DSC, and Certificate of Incorporation. Pan India service.
DPIIT Startup Recognition
DPIIT Startup India registration, Section 80-IAC tax exemption application, Form 2 filing for angel tax exemption (Section 56(2)(viib)), and SEBI angel fund compliance advisory.
ESOP Scheme Design
ESOP plan design, vesting schedule structuring, ESOP pool sizing, valuation for grant price, board and shareholder approvals under Section 62(1)(b), and tax planning for grantees at exercise and sale.
Fundraising Support
Financial model preparation, pitch deck review, term sheet advisory, SHA/SSA/CCD/CCPS documentation review, investor due diligence preparation, and pre-close compliance review.
FEMA & RBI Compliance
Foreign investment (FDI) compliance, FCGPR filings, valuation certificates for foreign investors, ECB advisory, compounding applications for past non-compliance, and FEMA audit support.
Startup Compliance Roadmap
Year-by-year compliance calendar covering income tax, GST, TDS, PF/ESIC, ROC filings, secretarial obligations, and industry-specific regulatory requirements for early-stage companies.
Startup Audit & Accounting
Monthly bookkeeping, quarterly management accounts, investor-ready MIS reports, and statutory audit — tailored to startup workflows and investor information requirements.
Restructuring & Wind-Down
Strike-off, voluntary winding up, LLP to company conversion, private to public conversion, and merger/demerger advisory for startups at any lifecycle stage.
Our Step-By-Step Process
Entity selection, incorporation, PAN/TAN/GST registration, bank account opening, DPIIT registration, shareholders' agreement, founders' agreements, IP assignment — all done right the first time.
Accounting software implementation, payroll setup, compliance calendar, board meeting structure, ESOP scheme adoption, vendor contracts, and HR policy framework.
MIS reporting for investors, financial modelling, due diligence preparation, ESOP management, FEMA/RBI compliance for foreign investors, and cap table management.
Statutory audit, tax audit, transfer pricing (if applicable), Big 4 audit support, annual ROC filings, and continuous advisory as the business scales in complexity.
Our Key Differentiators
Founder-Friendly
We speak the founder's language — lean, fast, practical. We give you exactly what you need to stay compliant and investor-ready, without billing you for things that can wait until you need them.
Investor Due Diligence Ready
Our clients consistently receive clean due diligence reports from investors. We maintain books and compliance in a format that satisfies the most demanding investor's financial review.
End-to-End Coverage
From your first shareholder agreement to your Series B filing — we cover every financial, tax, and regulatory aspect of your startup's journey. One team, one relationship, complete coverage.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Detailed answers to questions commonly asked by clients and prospects about our india startup advisory services.
For most VC-backed or growth-oriented startups, a Private Limited Company is preferred — it allows ESOP issuance, standard equity investment rounds (SHA/CCPS), DPIIT startup recognition, and is familiar to institutional investors. An LLP offers lower compliance costs and pass-through taxation, making it suitable for service firms where equity fundraising is not planned. We advise founders on the optimal structure based on their business model and growth plans.
Angel tax is an income tax levy on the excess of share premium received from resident investors over the fair market value of shares. Following recent amendments, it now applies to foreign investors too. The DPIIT Startup India framework (via Form 2) provides relief for eligible startups. Additionally, valuations by SEBI-registered merchant bankers can provide protection. We help startups navigate this proactively — before the investment round closes.
Best practice is to establish your ESOP pool at incorporation or before the first institutional funding round. Investors typically negotiate for an ESOP pool of 10–15% on a fully diluted basis pre-investment. Delaying ESOP setup creates dilution complexity later. We advise founders to adopt the ESOP scheme at the earliest Board meeting, even if initial grants are made only to key co-founders or early hires.
VC due diligence covers: (1) Legal DD — MOA/AOA, shareholder agreements, founder agreements, IP assignments; (2) Financial DD — audited financials, MIS, cap table, burn rate; (3) Tax DD — income tax, TDS, GST compliance status, pending assessments; (4) Regulatory DD — FEMA, sectoral licences, DPIIT status. We prepare our startup clients for all four workstreams before they enter fundraising discussions.
It depends on the nature of offerings. SaaS products typically attract 18% GST. Physical products have rates varying from 0% to 28% depending on HSN classification. Export of services to overseas clients (with payment in foreign currency) is zero-rated — meaning no GST on output but input GST can be refunded. We advise all startup clients on the correct GST treatment of their revenue streams from Day One.
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