Business Laws and Regulations in India
Doing Business in India Guide > Business Laws and Regulations in India
India’s laws are derived from English common law and seem recognizable to foreign attorneys. Many laws have been on the books since the nineteenth century, such as the Contracts Act of 1872. As a founding member of the World Trade Organization in 1995, India was required to update its laws on copyrights, patents, and trademarks. This process is now complete.
While India is often criticized for its complex and arcane regulations, it is important that that in some ways it is simpler than the United States. For example, most regulations are consistent across the country and attorneys in India can practice in any state of the Union.
Filing lawsuits is seldom productive in most commercial disputes since court cases can drag on for decades and collection can take even longer. For deals that are large enough, binding third-country arbitration can be the best way to resolve disputes.
Foreign law firms are not yet permitted to operate in India. Your business advisor can often recommend the best legal advisor for your unique situation.
We hope that our Doing Business in India Guide will help answer some of the routine questions we get asked. Please Contact Us if you need more in-depth assistance when looking to do business with India. We'll be glad to help.Useful Links
Third Party Resources
Law Library - India - World Bank Group
India Business Law Resource - Doing Business Project - India
