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 Mumbai: what is specific here
Mumbai is India’s largest B2B market and its dues are the most varied: garment exporters in Dharavi and Andheri, chemical traders in Masjid Bunder, agencies and consultants billing corporates in BKC and Lower Parel. Cheque-based payments are still common in trading, so Section 138 is a frequent route, and arbitration clauses in corporate contracts often decide where a dispute is heard.
Main industries: textiles and garments, finance and services, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, media and advertising and import and export trading.
Courts: Metropolitan Magistrate courts (Esplanade, Mazgaon, Andheri, Bandra, Kurla and others) for Section 138 complaints; City Civil Court and the Bombay High Court Commercial Division for high-value recovery suits.
MSME claims: Udyam-registered micro and small suppliers in Mumbai file on MSME Samadhaan, heard by the Maharashtra Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils (regional councils for Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Amravati regions) (Directorate of Industries, Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai, and regional Joint Director of Industries offices). The Council sits where the supplier is, so a Mumbai supplier can pursue a buyer in another state from home.
Corporate buyers Mumbai suppliers typically deal with
Suppliers in Mumbai commonly bill textiles and garments, finance and services, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, media and advertising and import and export trading 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 Mumbai
- 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 Maharashtra Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils (regional councils for Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Amravati regions), a Section 138 complaint in the Mumbai 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.