Terms of Service

1. Parties and acceptance

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "you") and Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd ("Triedge", "we", "us", "our"), a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, operating the platform known as Lekha Advisory ("Lekha", "the Platform") at lekhaadvisory.com.

By accessing or using the Platform, or by purchasing any service offered through the Platform, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and our Refund Policy. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

These Terms were last updated on 1 August 2025. We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Platform after such updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Nature of the Platform and services

What Lekha Advisory is: Lekha Advisory is a digital platform operated by Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd. We provide two categories of services:

Category 1 — Startup Advisory services (delivered directly by Lekha): The following four services are delivered directly by Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd through its Lekha Advisory team: - Startup India Registration & DPIIT Recognition - ESOP Design, Valuation & Implementation - Startup Financial Model & Valuation - Investor Readiness, Due Diligence & Statutory Reports

For these services, you contract with Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd directly. Payment is made to Lekha Advisory.

Category 2 — Professional connect services (delivered by independent professionals): For all other services on the Platform (audit, income tax, GST, company registration, insolvency, M&A advisory, etc.), Lekha acts as a platform that connects you with independent empanelled professionals (Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries, Registered Valuers, Insolvency Professionals, Merchant Bankers, or other registered professionals). Lekha does not charge any fee for this connection service.

For Category 2 services, your service contract is with the independent professional, not with Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd. Lekha is not a party to that engagement.

What Lekha Advisory is not: Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd is not a firm of Chartered Accountants and is not registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). We do not perform attest functions, statutory audits, or any service reserved exclusively for CAs in practice under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949.

3. Terms for Startup Advisory services (Category 1)

Scope of service: The deliverables for each Startup Advisory service are described on the relevant service page on the Platform. We will make reasonable efforts to complete each service within the estimated timeframe communicated at or before the time of purchase. Timelines are estimates and may be affected by third-party processing times (e.g., DPIIT portal processing time) which are outside our control.

Your obligations: You agree to provide accurate, complete, and timely information required for us to deliver the service. Delays caused by incomplete or inaccurate information provided by you may extend delivery timelines. We are not liable for delays or non-delivery resulting from your failure to provide required information.

Payment: Services are charged at the fixed fee displayed at the time of purchase. Payment is processed securely by Razorpay or Cashfree. All prices are inclusive of applicable taxes unless stated otherwise. The price displayed at the time of purchase is the price payable.

Refunds: Refunds are governed by our Refund Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

Intellectual property of deliverables: Deliverables created for you (financial models, ESOP scheme documents, compliance reports, valuation reports) are created for your specific use. You may use them for the purpose for which they were commissioned. We retain the right to use anonymised and aggregated insights for internal purposes. We do not claim ownership of your underlying business information.

4. Terms for professional connect services (Category 2)

Lekha's role: For Category 2 services, Lekha's role is limited to: verifying the professional's registration, maintaining the empanelment panel, displaying professional profiles and declared fees, and facilitating the initial connection between you and the professional. Lekha does not charge any fee for this role.

No guarantee of service: Lekha does not guarantee the quality, timeliness, or outcome of services delivered by empanelled professionals. Empanelment signifies verification of registration, not an endorsement of quality. You are responsible for exercising your own judgment in selecting a professional.

Direct engagement: Your engagement with the professional is a direct contractual relationship between you and the professional. The professional's terms of engagement, fee structure, and service scope are determined between you and the professional. Lekha is not a party to this contract.

Disputes with professionals: Disputes arising from a professional engagement are to be resolved directly between you and the professional. Lekha may provide good-faith assistance in facilitating resolution but is not responsible for the outcome of such disputes.

Professional responsibility: Empanelled professionals are responsible for maintaining their registrations in good standing, complying with their respective professional codes of conduct (ICAI, ICSI, IBBI, SEBI regulations), and delivering services in accordance with applicable professional standards.

5. User conduct and prohibited use

By using the Platform, you agree not to:

- Provide false, misleading, or fraudulent information at any stage of using the Platform - Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely represent your affiliation with any entity - Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable Indian law - Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Platform or any system connected to it - Use automated means (bots, scrapers) to access or extract data from the Platform without our written consent - Post, transmit, or distribute content that is defamatory, harassing, obscene, or otherwise objectionable - Interfere with the security or integrity of the Platform

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate termination of your access to the Platform and may expose you to legal liability.

6. Intellectual property

Our intellectual property: The Platform, including its design, structure, navigation, and all content created by Lekha Advisory (educational guides, resource articles, platform interface) is owned by or licensed to Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd. You may not copy, reproduce, republish, or distribute any part of the Platform without our prior written consent.

Your intellectual property: You retain ownership of all information, documents, and data you provide to us. By providing this information, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive licence to use it solely for the purpose of delivering the service you have requested.

Third-party content: Where the Platform contains links to third-party websites or content, these are provided for convenience only. We do not control and are not responsible for the content of those websites.

7. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable Indian law:

Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd's total liability to you for any claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms or your use of the Platform shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to Lekha Advisory in the 12 months preceding the claim.

We are not liable for: - Indirect, incidental, or consequential losses including loss of profit, loss of data, or loss of business opportunity - Delays or non-delivery resulting from third-party processing times or your failure to provide required information - The quality or outcome of services delivered by independent professionals (Category 2 services) - Decisions made by DPIIT, income tax authorities, GST authorities, or any other regulatory body based on your application or compliance status - Losses arising from your reliance on information provided on the Platform without independent professional advice

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for fraud, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable Indian law.

Advisory nature of certain services: Startup Financial Model & Valuation and Investor Readiness services include advisory opinions on valuation and compliance status. These are opinions based on information provided by you and are not statutory certificates or auditor opinions. They should not be relied upon as a substitute for independent statutory audit, legal advice, or regulatory filings.

8. Data protection

The collection and processing of your personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. We process your personal data in compliance with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. By using the Platform, you consent to the processing of your personal data as described in our Privacy Policy.

9. Termination

By you: You may stop using the Platform at any time. Termination of use does not entitle you to any refund unless the conditions of our Refund Policy are met.

By us: We may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform without notice if you breach these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or if required by applicable law. We may also discontinue the Platform or any service with reasonable notice.

Effect of termination: Sections 6 (Intellectual Property), 7 (Limitation of Liability), 10 (Governing Law), and 11 (Dispute Resolution) survive termination of these Terms.

10. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Delhi, India.

The Platform is operated from India. If you access the Platform from outside India, you are responsible for compliance with local laws applicable in your jurisdiction.

11. Dispute resolution

Informal resolution first: Before initiating any legal proceeding, you agree to first contact us at legal@lekhaadvisory.com with a written description of your dispute. We will make good faith efforts to resolve the dispute within 30 days.

Arbitration: If informal resolution is unsuccessful, disputes shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (as amended). The arbitration shall be conducted in Delhi by a sole arbitrator mutually agreed upon by the parties. The language of arbitration shall be English. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding.

Exception: Either party may seek interim or injunctive relief from courts of competent jurisdiction in Delhi where necessary to prevent irreparable harm.

12. Miscellaneous

Entire agreement: These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and Refund Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd regarding the Platform and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

No waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

Assignment: You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign our rights or obligations under these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets.

Contact: For legal notices: legal@lekhaadvisory.com For general enquiries: hello@lekhaadvisory.com Company: Triedge Platform Services Pvt Ltd (operating as Lekha Advisory)