At Esplora Legal, we bring deep expertise and regional insight to the dynamic world of venture capital. As one of India’s leading VC law firms, we provide strategic legal support across all stages of the investment lifecycle—guiding startups, venture capital funds, angel investors, family offices, and emerging companies through complex transactions, regulatory hurdles, and cross-border structuring. With offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Tashkent, and Shanghai, we are uniquely positioned to assist clients operating at the intersection of capital, innovation, and scale.

Why Choose Esplora Legal as Your VC Law Firm in India?

Esplora Legal combines commercial acumen with precise legal execution. Our venture capital lawyers have advised on numerous seed, Series A to late-stage deals, representing both investors and startups across sectors. Our client-centric model ensures that every mandate is approached with agility, discretion, and a focus on outcomes.

What sets us apart is our integrated approach to structuring investment rounds, conducting due diligence, drafting and negotiating term sheets and definitive agreements, advising on regulatory approvals, and managing post-deal obligations—all tailored to India’s evolving legal and regulatory ecosystem.

Our Venture Capital Legal Services

We offer comprehensive legal services tailored for the venture capital and startup ecosystem in India, including:

• Drafting and negotiating term sheets, shareholders’ agreements, and investment agreements.
• Pre-investment legal due diligence and risk assessments.
• Advice on regulatory compliance under Indian laws including FEMA, Companies Act, SEBI, and DPIIT.
• Cross-border VC investments involving foreign entities or foreign direct investment (FDI).
• Structuring exits through IPOs, buybacks, or secondary sales.
• Strategic support on ESOP policies, IP assignments, and data protection.
• Dispute resolution relating to founder-investor disagreements.

We also regularly advise venture capital funds on fund formation, LP-GP structuring, and fund compliance issues under Indian and offshore frameworks.

Meet Our Experts

Divya Hazra – Partner, India Desk

Divya Hazra is an international corporate lawyer with over 10 years of experience, currently based between Mumbai and Shanghai. Having worked across three jurisdictions—India, the United States, and China—she specializes in advising large and medium-sized corporations and private equity funds on complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

She has significant expertise in structuring and executing transactions under India’s Press Note 3 (PN3) regime, including sensitive cross-border investments and joint ventures involving Chinese parties. Divya regularly advises Indian Fortune 500 companies on their M&A transactions in China, as well as Indian listed companies in the automotive sector on licensing Chinese technology and forming strategic joint ventures. In addition, she advises European and U.S. clients on M&A and joint ventures in India, helping them navigate India’s regulatory and commercial landscape.

Divya holds an LL.B. from Government Law College, Mumbai and an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, New York. She is admitted to practice law in India and New York, and combines her multi-jurisdictional legal training with on-the-ground experience in China to guide clients through regulatory, commercial, and cultural complexities in cross-border deals.

Sampriti Sridhar

Sampriti Sridhar is a corporate lawyer based in Bengaluru, India. With 12 years of specialized experience in venture capital, private equity, and corporate transactions, she advises domestic and international clients on mergers and acquisitions, fundraising, joint ventures, and corporate governance. She has previously worked at some of India’s leading law firms including AZB & Partners and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and has also served as a Legal Counsel at Lake Shore India Retail Venture Fund, Mumbai. Sampriti is admitted to practice law in India and holds legal education from School of Excellence in Law, Chennai and Columbia Law School, New York.

Our Clients

We work with early-stage startups, high-growth tech companies, angel syndicates, incubators, VC funds, and international family offices. Whether you are a first-time founder closing your seed round or a seasoned investor leading a complex Series B with multiple co-investors, our team of venture capital lawyers will help safeguard your interests while enabling speed and scalability.

Deep Industry Insight. Global Perspective. Local Execution.

Our VC legal practice is anchored by deep experience across India and Asia. From structuring foreign direct investment into Indian startups to enabling cross-border joint ventures between Indian and Chinese tech firms, our multilingual and multi-jurisdictional teams bring unmatched insight into the legal nuances of venture capital in emerging markets.

Why It Matters to Get VC Law Right in India

The Indian venture capital ecosystem is maturing rapidly, and legal missteps in early rounds can create significant friction during exits, down rounds, or follow-on funding. We help investors and founders alike avoid future disputes, manage compliance risk, and create investment-ready documentation that stands the test of time.

As regulations evolve, especially around FDI, fintech, data privacy, and startup incentives, having seasoned VC legal counsel is no longer optional—it is essential.

Recent Transactions

• Represented a high-growth SAAS company engaged in providing manufacturing compliance and quality management on its $20M series seed investment from marquee investors.
• Represented a high-growth start-up providing affordable plant-based protein solutions in their series seed investment from several Indian and US investors.
• Represented a US-based investor in its exit from an Indian multi-cloud storage management platform, by way of a share sale to an incoming investor.