DRT, recovery agents or a B2B recovery agency?
| Route | Who can use it | Use it for an unpaid invoice? |
|---|---|---|
| Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) | Banks and financial institutions, for debts of ₹20 lakh and above | No: suppliers cannot file there |
| Bank recovery agents | Lenders, under RBI rules | No: they act only for lenders |
| MSME Samadhaan | Udyam-registered micro and small suppliers; heard by the West Bengal Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council | Yes, if you are Udyam-registered |
| Section 138, NI Act | Anyone holding a bounced cheque | Yes, within the 30-day notice limit |
| Summary or civil suit, arbitration | Any supplier with a fixed sum due | Yes |
A business debt recovery agency should use the last three. FundRaksha’s advocates choose the route in the free consultation and often run two together.
Recovering B2B dues in Kolkata: what is specific here
Kolkata’s trade in Burrabazar, Posta and Howrah still runs on relationships and post-dated cheques, so Section 138 and old-fashioned negotiation both matter. Jute mills, foundries and engineering units supply across eastern India and Bangladesh, and distributors here often carry dues for FMCG brands with slow reconciliation.
Main industries: jute and textiles, tea trading, engineering and foundry, leather and FMCG distribution.
Courts: Metropolitan Magistrate courts at Bankshall Court, Calcutta, and Alipore for Section 138; City Civil Court and the Calcutta High Court Commercial Division for recovery suits.
MSME claims: Udyam-registered micro and small suppliers in Kolkata file on MSME Samadhaan, heard by the West Bengal Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council (Directorate of MSME, Government of West Bengal, Kolkata). The Council sits where the supplier is, so a Kolkata supplier can pursue a buyer in another state from home.
Recovery agent or advocate?
A recovery agent can only remind and persuade. An advocate can send a statutory notice, claim interest under the MSMED Act, file in the Kolkata courts or before the Council, and enforce the result. That is why every FundRaksha case has a dedicated advocate from day one. Read more: recovery agent vs advocate.
How recovery works for a business in Kolkata
- 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 West Bengal Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council, a Section 138 complaint in the Kolkata 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.