Why startups get paid late
- No signed order. Work started on a Slack message or a verbal yes.
- Scope creep used as leverage. “It is not finished” becomes a reason not to pay for what is.
- Client funding problems. Your invoice is low priority when their payroll is at risk.
- Auto-renewal disputes. Annual plans renewed and then refused.
- Fear of a public fight. Founders avoid escalating against a well-known client.
A legal notice that quotes the order form, the acceptance emails and the renewal clause removes most of these excuses, quietly.
Recovering B2B dues in Delhi: what is specific here
Delhi’s wholesale markets in Chandni Chowk, Gandhi Nagar, Okhla and Bawana run on long informal credit, and a large share of suppliers also sell to government departments and PSUs where payments stall in paperwork. Delhi’s dedicated Section 138 courts move faster than most, and MSME Samadhaan applies fully to government buyers.
Main industries: garments and exports, electronics and electricals trading, auto components, printing and packaging and government and PSU supply.
Courts: Metropolitan Magistrate courts at Tis Hazari, Patiala House, Saket, Karkardooma, Rohini, Dwarka and Rouse Avenue for Section 138; District Commercial Courts for recovery suits; the Delhi High Court for high-value matters.
MSME claims: Udyam-registered micro and small suppliers in Delhi file on MSME Samadhaan, heard by the Delhi Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council (Office of the Commissioner of Industries, Government of NCT of Delhi). The Council sits where the supplier is, so a Delhi supplier can pursue a buyer in another state from home.
Routes for startup dues
Most startup contracts have an arbitration clause and a governing-law clause; your advocate follows them. Where there is none, a summary suit on the invoices fits. Startups that are Udyam-registered micro or small enterprises can also file MSME Samadhaan against larger clients and claim statutory interest. Before any of that, we check that the client company is still active on the MCA register, so you do not spend on a shell.
How recovery works for a business in Delhi
- 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 Delhi Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council, a Section 138 complaint in the Delhi 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.