The Agreement Stack Every Indian Startup Needs
Most Indian startups run on copied templates, unsigned understandings, and hope. That works until the first unpaid invoice, the first contractor who owns your code, or the first hire who leaves with your customer list. Here is the stack — by stage, in plain language, with honest notes on what you can skip.
Before you share your idea
NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)
Before pitches, vendor evaluations, or due diligence — puts confidentiality on record so a conversation can be open without being risky.
Honest note: Skip it for investor pitches — most VCs won't sign NDAs, and asking signals inexperience. Use it for vendors, contractors, and partnership talks instead.
Create an NDA — ₹499Your first client
Service Agreement / SOW
Scope, deliverables, payment schedule, IP ownership, and what happens when scope creeps. The single highest-leverage document for a services startup — most client disputes trace to a missing or vague SOW.
Create a Service AgreementYour first contractors
Freelancer Contract
IP assignment is the clause that matters: without it, the freelancer owns what they built for you — a real problem at your first fundraise or acquisition due diligence.
Create a Freelancer ContractYour first hires
Employment Agreement
Role, compensation, confidentiality, IP assignment, and notice periods — written before day one, not after a dispute.
Create an Employment AgreementYour suppliers
Vendor Agreement
Delivery terms, quality standards, payment terms, and liability — for the suppliers your product depends on.
Create a Vendor AgreementWhen an invoice goes unpaid
Money-Recovery Legal Notice
The formal, documented step that gets most invoices paid without a court. Statutory clocks apply — a bounced cheque gives you only 30 days to serve notice.
Send a Demand Notice — ₹299Someone sent YOU an agreement?
Don't sign what you don't understand. Upload it to the free Document Decoder — it explains what the document is, what it commits you to, and flags any deadlines, before you sign.
Decode a Document — FreeFounder questions, answered straight
Do I really need all of these on day one?
No — and anyone who says you do is selling formality, not protection. Start with the document for the relationship you're entering this month: first client → service agreement; first contractor → freelancer contract with IP assignment. Add the rest as the relationships appear.
Are these legally valid in India?
Yes — these are India-specific documents drafted for the Indian Contract Act and allied statutes, not US templates with the names changed. Where a statutory clock or state rule applies, the document states it and cites it.
What if I received an agreement and don't understand it?
Upload it to our free Document Decoder — it explains what the document is, what it commits you to, and flags deadlines, in plain language, before you sign.
What does an agreement NOT do?
An agreement records what both sides accepted — it doesn't enforce itself. Enforcement needs evidence: signed copies, payment trails, and written communication. Our documents build those habits in (receipts, notice mechanics, service proof).
Self-service legal documents with plain-language explanations — not a law firm, and not legal advice. For complex situations (fundraises, ESOPs, disputes already in motion), consult a qualified advocate.