Three signs it is time to escalate
- Promises without dates. “Next week” three times in a row means the buyer is managing you, not paying you.
- Silence. Calls unanswered and messages seen but ignored.
- New disputes. Quality or quantity complaints that appear only after the due date.
At any of these, a legal notice changes the conversation. It costs you nothing upfront and most buyers respond within days.
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.
What to send us
- The unpaid invoice(s) and payment terms
- Purchase order, delivery challan, e-way bill or proof of service
- The buyer’s messages and emails about the payment
- For a bounced cheque: the cheque and the bank return memo
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.