What makes an invoice recoverable
Most unpaid invoices are recoverable if three things exist: proof the goods or services were ordered, proof they were delivered or performed, and the invoice itself. In practice that means a purchase order or email, a delivery challan, e-way bill, lorry receipt or acceptance mail, and a GST invoice with the buyer’s GSTIN. The buyer’s own replies (“we will pay next week”) are an admission that strengthens the claim.
Your GST filings help too: an invoice reported in GSTR-1 and reflected in the buyer’s GSTR-2B shows the buyer accepted the supply and claimed input credit on it.
Invoice recovery for Chennai businesses: our process
- Free assessment of the invoices and documents, including ageing and the buyer’s pattern of payment.
- Legal notice within 24 hours, itemising each invoice, the GST details, the due dates and the interest claimed.
- Advocate negotiation, usually ending in full payment or a signed instalment plan with post-dated payments.
- If needed: MSME Samadhaan at the Tamil Nadu Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council for Udyam suppliers, Section 138 for cheques, or a summary suit on the invoices.
Recovering B2B dues in Chennai: what is specific here
Chennai’s auto cluster in Oragadam, Sriperumbudur and Ambattur means thousands of tier-2 and tier-3 component suppliers waiting on large buyers, often beyond the MSME Act’s 45-day limit. Leather exporters in Pallavaram and engineering job-workers in Guindy face similar delays. MSME Samadhaan before the Tamil Nadu Facilitation Council is a strong route for Udyam-registered units here.
Main industries: automobile and auto components, IT and BPO services, leather and footwear, engineering and pharmaceuticals.
Courts: Metropolitan Magistrate courts at Egmore, George Town, Saidapet and Alandur for Section 138; City Civil Court and the Madras High Court Commercial Division for recovery suits.
MSME claims: Udyam-registered micro and small suppliers in Chennai file on MSME Samadhaan, heard by the Tamil Nadu Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council (Commissionerate of Industries and Commerce (MSME Department), Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai). The Council sits where the supplier is, so a Chennai supplier can pursue a buyer in another state from home.
Interest you can add to an unpaid invoice
Udyam-registered micro and small suppliers can claim compound interest at three times the RBI bank rate from the day after the 45-day limit (or the agreed shorter date). Other suppliers can claim interest under the contract, or at a reasonable rate through the court under the Interest Act, 1978. Our notices always include the interest claim; buyers often settle the principal quickly to avoid it.