The levers that move large buyers
- MSMED Act interest. Three times the RBI bank rate, compounded, on every day beyond 45 days. Corporate finance teams know this number.
- Section 43B(h). Since FY 2023-24, a buyer cannot deduct an expense owed to a micro or small supplier unless it is paid within the MSMED time limit. Their auditors ask about it.
- MSME-1 disclosure. Companies must report outstanding MSME dues to the Registrar of Companies every half-year; unpaid dues are a compliance problem for them.
- A notice to the right people. Addressed to the company secretary, CFO and the registered office, not just the purchase manager.
- Facilitation Council and courts. PSUs and listed companies appear before Councils like anyone else.
Recovering B2B dues in Kochi: what is specific here
Kochi’s seafood exporters, spice traders in Mattancherry and shipping agents around the port deal with both domestic and overseas buyers, and dues from hotels and resorts rise and fall with the season. Kerala’s Facilitation Council handles MSME claims, and the Ernakulam courts are experienced with Section 138 matters from the trading community.
Main industries: seafood processing and exports, spices trading, shipping and logistics, IT services and tourism and hospitality.
Courts: Judicial First Class Magistrate courts, Ernakulam, for Section 138; District Court, Ernakulam, and its Commercial Court for recovery suits; the Kerala High Court for high-value matters.
MSME claims: Udyam-registered micro and small suppliers in Kochi file on MSME Samadhaan, heard by the Kerala Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council (Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Government of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram). The Council sits where the supplier is, so a Kochi supplier can pursue a buyer in another state from home.
Corporate buyers Kochi suppliers typically deal with
Suppliers in Kochi commonly bill seafood processing and exports, spices trading, shipping and logistics, IT services and tourism and hospitality companies, including OEMs, EPC contractors, PSUs and government departments. Our notices quote the exact purchase order, GRN and portal acknowledgement so the buyer’s own records confirm the claim.
How recovery works for a business in Kochi
- Free consultation and case assessment. Send us the invoice, purchase order or delivery proof and the buyer’s messages. We tell you what is recoverable and how.
- Dedicated advocate within 24 hours. Your advocate sends a legal notice as an e-notice the same day and by registered post, with proof of delivery saved.
- Negotiation and settlement. The advocate calls the buyer, explains the consequences and agrees a payment plan. About 60% of our cases close here.
- Filing if needed. MSME Samadhaan before the Kerala Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council, a Section 138 complaint in the Kochi magistrate courts, a summary suit or arbitration, handled by the same advocate.
You pay nothing upfront. Our fee is 30% of the amount actually recovered; if nothing is recovered there is no fee. Court fees, where a matter is filed, are borne by you and told to you in advance.