Ikigai Law

Ikigai Law specialises in representing new-age businesses and has a reputation for advising on first-of-their-kind technology products. Among other things, the firm helped launch India’s first crypto exchange and the largest token offering, and advised global satcom broadband majors on their India-entry and a global social media company on setting up India's first misinformation checking-network. The firm has regularly advised the government of India, including on satcom regulation, its drones policy, laws for digital gaming and on cybersecurity including international negotiations during India’s G20 presidency. The firm is partnering with India’s Ministry for Information Technology and UNESCO to develop an India-specific AI policy report that will assess national AI readiness and recommend frameworks for responsible adoption.

Clients

The firm’s clients include AB InBev, British High Commission, CoinDCX, Cred, Denso, Idemia, Infoedge, Government of Tamil Nadu, Microsoft, Mobikwik, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (India), NEC, Panasonic, Radisson, Razorpay, Swiggy, Tide and UNESCO.

Practice areas

Business laws and Contracts: The firm provides contract drafting and negotiation support and general business law advise. Given the nature of its clientele, the firm often supports on first-of-their-kind contractual arrangements: from launch contracts for India's first private remote sensing satellites to illustrated contracts for Swiggy's gig workers drafted so for easy comprehension. They also provide corporate/commercial law advise on a range of issues from foreign exchange law to company law to employment laws. Contact: [email protected]

Data privacy: The firm helps clients navigate the evolving data governance landscape globally, providing 360-degree support across public policy, government relations, and legal advisory. They’ve been at the forefront of policy conversations around data governance. For instance, they’ve authored long-form reports for leading industry bodies on critical issues like cross-border data flows and encryption. On the advisory side, the firm guides clients on front-end and back-end changes that are needed to comply with existing and upcoming data protection laws. This includes conducting gap assessments, identifying areas that require future-proofing, recommending UI/UX best practices, creating policies and processes for data classification, access control, and incident response, and drafting contracts for users (like privacy policies) and business partners (like data processing agreements). Contact: [email protected]

Dispute Resolution: The firm advises clients on complex technology and intellectual property issues. They successfully represented crypto-exchanges in their petition before the Indian Supreme Court which overturned Indian central bank’s ban on banking access for the crypto industry. They secured an unprecedented order allowing issue of summons over WhatsApp for a film production company. Similar orders were later issued by several High Courts in the country. They also helped India’s largest drone manufacturer challenge the grant of the largest drone procurement tender issued by the Indian government. Contact: [email protected]

Product: The firm’s product team stress-tests tech products against the law and devises business-friendly solutions. They support clients through the entire product development cycle from ideation to launch to growth. They often come in at the ideation stage to determine if a product at its core is legally viable. They also redesign products in a manner that ensures legal compliance without destroying their value proposition. Once the product is ready, they help clients go live by reviewing UI/UX, preparing contracts, and building a communications strategy. They’ve helped launch several first-to-market products including prepaid cards for teenagers, alcohol delivery during the pandemic, fact-checking tools during the national elections, the first Indian muti-currency and peer-to-peer crypto exchanges, and Bollywood-themed NFTs. Contact: [email protected]

Public Policy: Ikigai Law are the first law firm to have a policy practice exclusively dedicated to tech and innovation. Their policy team helps clients track developments, understand their business impact, develop policy positions, and conduct stakeholder engagement and advocacy. They blend their in-depth understanding of the law with insight into the policy landscape to anticipate the shape of future regulation and identify key stakeholders and decision-makers. Their policy work is both proactive and reactive. So, they help clients not only respond to regulatory proposals but also drive the conversation through thought leadership and outreach. Their clients include start-ups, large multinationals, and government bodies. They also advise several prominent industry associations and help them find convergence between the diverse interests of their members. The firm is working with the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Australia to establish bi-lateral standards for inclusive AI in healthcare in Australia and India. Contact: [email protected]

TMT Advisory: The firm’s advisory team works with clients to ensure legal compliance in their day-to-day operations. They help clients comply with myriad laws and regulations applicable to their line of business. These include due diligence measures for online intermediaries (including content removal and government access to user data), sectoral requirements for cloud service providers, and obligations of e-commerce entities relating to foreign investment, inventory management, and customer protection. Contact: [email protected]

Venture Capital and General Corporate: The firm advises clients on investment transactions, corporate structuring, and general corporate matters. When drafting and negotiating investment documents, they bring their experience of having represented investors and promoters through market upswings and down rounds, promoter exits, and investor disputes. Contact: [email protected]

Offices: The 5-partner 40+ lawyers team is based out of New Delhi and Bengaluru. They can be reached at [email protected] in New Delhi and [email protected] in Bengaluru.