Why we picked it This is the checklist and the template in one, written for Indian Pvt Ltd reality, not a US Delaware copy-paste. It walks all nine load-bearing clauses (equity split, 4-year vest with 1-year cliff, good/bad leaver buy-back, roles, reserved matters and deadlock, IP assignment of pre-incorporation work, exit, dispute resolution) and gives a 16-clause template skeleton. Two India-specific traps it flags will save you a real fight: post-exit non-competes are void under Section 27 of the Contract Act, and any share-related term only binds the company once it is mirrored into your Articles of Association (per V.B. Rangaraj v. V.B. Gopalakrishnan).
Co-Founder Agreement for Indian Startups: Clauses and Template (2026)
From iPleaders by iPleaders 25 min read
- Nine essential clauses plus a full template skeleton you can adapt: equity, vesting, leaver mechanics, roles, deadlock, IP, confidentiality, exit, arbitration
- Post-termination non-compete clauses are unenforceable in India under Section 27, so lean on in-term restrictions and non-solicit instead
- Vesting and buy-back terms bind the company only when written into the Articles of Association, not just the founders' side letter