An India due diligence checklist, scoped to your company.
318 items in 33 areas, written for Indian filings rather than adapted from a Western data room template: ROC filings, GST, income tax, PF and ESI, FEMA, data protection under the DPDP Act and sector licences. Every item names the document, the period and the portal it comes from, and says what to do if you do not have it. The list is scoped to your company's size and what it does.
Written for Indian filings, not translated from an American template
Every item names the actual form, the portal it comes from and the authority that wants it. Your CA does not have to work out what a foreign checklist meant by “corporate records”.
- Company basicsIncorporation, MoA and AoA with amendments, director KYC and DIN status, annual and event-based ROC filingsAOC-4, MGT-7, PAS-3, CHG-1
- Ownership and fundraisingCap table and transfer history, share certificates, buyback filings, subscription agreementsSH-7, SH-8, SH-11
- Tax and GSTReturns and acknowledgements, tax audit, TDS credit reconciliation, GST returns for the full review period, input credit reconciliation3CD, 26AS, GSTR-1, 3B, 2B
- People and operationsPayroll registers, employment agreements, ESOP grants and vesting, contributions and gratuityPF, ESI, PoSH
- Licences and complianceEstablishment licences, state labour acts, professional tax, contract labour where it appliesUdyam, IEC, CLRA
- IP, tech, risk and cross-borderTrademarks, patents and software ownership, pending litigation and notices, foreign investment filingsFC-GPR, FC-TRS
- MCA21
- GST portal
- Income Tax e-filing
- TRACES
- EPFO Unified
- ESIC
- State labour departments
- RBI FIRMS
Six of the eight sections. The other two, Financials and banking, and Contracts and customers, work the same way: every item says which document, for which period, and where it comes from.
The areas the checklist covers
Grouped for reading. In the workspace they appear as separate sections, each with the documents, periods and portals named.
Company and ownership
- Corporate and company records
- Share capital and ownership
- Promoter and founder background
- Stakeholder and related-party transactions
- Competition law and board governance
Money
- Financial records and analysis
- Financial projections and business plan
- Banking and treasury
- Tax, direct
- Tax, indirect (GST and customs)
- Business valuation
Compliance and risk
- Regulatory and statutory compliance
- Human resources and employment
- Litigation and dispute resolution
- Sector-specific licences and certifications
- Health, safety and environment
- AML and KYC compliance
- FEMA and FDI compliance
- International trade and customs
Operations and assets
- Contracts and commercial agreements
- Customer concentration and commercial risk
- Vendor and supply chain risk
- Real estate and physical assets
- Intellectual property and data
- Technology and IT infrastructure
- Cybersecurity and data protection
- Insurance coverage
- Operational risk and continuity
You are not shown items that do not apply to you
You answer a few questions about turnover, structure, headcount, exports and borrowings, and the list is built from your answers. A company that says it does not export is not asked for an Import Export Code or export proceeds certificates.
Smaller companies
A focused list covering what any investor, bank or buyer will ask about, without the items that only apply at scale.
Mid-size companies
Adds related-party detail filed with the ROC, a board-approved ESG policy, working capital projections and the licences your business relies on.
Larger companies
The full list, including transfer pricing documentation, competition law and supply chain ESG.
What the items are for
How due diligence works in India
Who looks at what, the stages from first conversation to closing, and how long it takes. Written for founders going through due diligence for the first time.
9 min read
Common due diligence red flags in Indian MSMEs
The gaps due diligence teams find again and again in Indian MSMEs, why each one matters, and what fixing it involves. Most are cheaper to fix before a deal.
7 min read
Due diligence glossary: Indian forms and filings
A plain-English glossary of the forms, registrations, instruments and deal terms that come up when an Indian company goes through diligence.
8 min read
Get investor-ready before the investor arrives.
Find out where you stand in about four minutes. It is free and needs no account or card. Leave your contact details and we send you the full report.
Start free check- Annual filingsFY 2024-25Clearedby your CA2 Sep 2026
- Board minutesFY 2025-26Uploaded