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 Maharashtra Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils (regional councils for Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Amravati regions) | 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 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.
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 Mumbai 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 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.