Investigations & due diligence in India
See clearly into your India business.
Data-driven forensic investigations, due diligence and anti-corruption reviews of Indian subsidiaries, joint ventures, distributors and investments, reported to the standard your board, auditors and regulators expect.
- Full-population analytics on ledgers, payments, vendor and employee data
- On-the-ground enquiries, Indian records, and sources in Indian and international languages
- FCPA, UK Bribery Act and Indian anti-corruption law in view
- Board-ready reporting in English, aligned with your counsel
A senior specialist is available immediately to talk your matter through, before any assignment.
Speak to an expert- Investigations for corporates in India and overseas
- 1,250+Investigations for corporates in India and overseas
- Market intelligence assignments
- 500+Market intelligence assignments
- Years investigating corporate misconduct (since 2007)
- 19+Years investigating corporate misconduct (since 2007)
- Countries where we have investigated
- 11+Countries where we have investigated
Exhibit · SF-II
Forensic investigations and due diligence in India for international clients
- Handling
- Strictly confidential
- First contact
- Senior specialist
- Evidence
- Chain of custody
- Coverage
- India & 11+ countries
In short
International companies and investors use an independent Indian forensic firm when they need facts about their India operations: suspected fraud in a subsidiary, bribery risk through agents or distributors, the integrity of a joint-venture partner or promoter, or the reliability of reported numbers. Spectra Forensics combines full-population data analytics with on-the-ground investigation in India, and reports in English to global standards. We also work as an independent specialist partner to global audit and consulting firms.
Talk it through with a senior specialistWhen clients call us
What we are asked to find out
Fraud in an Indian subsidiary
Losses, manipulated results or management override reported by internal audit or a whistleblower.
Bribery risk through third parties
Agents, distributors, customs brokers or consultants dealing with officials on your behalf.
A joint-venture or local partner
Related-party leakage, conflicts or a partner relationship that has turned adversarial.
Before investing or acquiring
Promoter integrity, undisclosed related parties and the quality of reported numbers.
Channel and distributor abuse
Scheme, discount and claim fraud, grey-market diversion and inflated sales.
Evidence for a dispute or arbitration
Collecting Indian documents, data and testimony to evidential standards.
Guide
Investigating in India: what global teams should know
Why use an India-based forensic firm?
Because the evidence is local. Indian corporate filings, court and land records, regional media and industry sources, accounting packages common in India, and documents in Indian languages all need people who work with them every day. An independent local firm also gives your board a view separate from the subsidiary’s management and its auditors.
What does a data-driven review of an Indian subsidiary look like?
We extract the full population of transactions (general ledger, payments, purchase and sales data, vendor, customer and employee masters) and test all of it for the patterns real schemes leave: related or duplicate vendors, round-sum and split payments, unusual credit notes and discounts, period-end entries and fund flows to connected parties. Exceptions are then investigated with documents, interviews and background research, and presented visually with timelines and fund-flow charts.
Which laws matter for anti-corruption work in India?
The Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, which since 2018 also makes a commercial organisation liable when a person associated with it bribes a public servant, unless it had adequate procedures. For many international groups the US FCPA (anti-bribery and books-and-records provisions) and the UK Bribery Act section 7 (failure to prevent bribery) also reach Indian subsidiaries and third parties.
Can data leave India for our review?
Generally yes. The DPDP Act 2023 permits transfers of personal data out of India except to countries the government restricts, with most obligations applying from May 2027. Sector rules can be stricter. Where it suits you, evidence can stay in India and your team can review it remotely. Counsel confirms the position for each matter.
How do you work with our global counsel and auditors?
We usually work under instruction from your in-house or external counsel, to the scope and reporting format they set, and coordinate with your internal audit and global investigation teams. Reports are written in English for boards, audit committees, regulators and auditors.
- Investigation or due diligence report in English, to global standards
- Full-population data analytics with exceptions explained
- Fund-flow, timeline and relationship charts
- Third-party and anti-corruption risk assessment
- Evidence handled with documented chain of custody
- Remediation and control recommendations for the India business
What to expect
What happens after you get in touch
- 01
Consult a senior specialist
A senior specialist is available immediately to listen to what has happened and talk through your options, before any assignment. No names or documents are needed at this stage.
- 02
A proportionate scope
We suggest the right next step, from a preliminary review to a full engagement, with the team, approach and fee basis agreed before work starts.
- 03
Evidence first, discreetly
Work starts by securing records, devices and data before anyone connected to the matter is alerted.
- 04
Findings you can act on
A clear, evidence-backed report for your board, lender, counsel or regulator, with support for the next legal, disciplinary or commercial step.
Why Spectra Forensics
Independent, discreet, evidence-led
Frequently asked questions
Do you work for foreign companies and investors?
Yes. We work for international groups, investors and overseas law firms on matters in India, and have covered multi-geography matters in 11+ countries.
Do you work with global audit and consulting firms?
Yes. We also work as an independent specialist partner to global audit and consulting firms on Indian matters.
Can you investigate without alerting local management?
Yes. Data preservation, analytics and background research can run discreetly; interviews are scheduled once evidence is secure and your counsel agrees.
How do we communicate across time zones?
Through a named engagement lead, scheduled calls in your business hours and written updates in English.
Can you handle documents in Indian and other languages?
Yes. We handle documents, media and sources in Indian vernacular languages and in international languages, planned for in the scope from the start.
What does an engagement cost?
It depends on scope, data volume and locations. We agree a proportionate scope and fee basis after the first conversation, often starting with a defined preliminary phase.
Does the FCPA apply in India?
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act applies to US issuers, US companies and persons, and others acting in the US. Its anti-bribery provisions can reach conduct by their Indian subsidiaries, agents and distributors, and its books-and-records provisions cover a US issuer’s consolidated subsidiaries. India’s own equivalent is the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, which since 2018 also makes commercial organisations liable for bribes paid on their behalf.
How can I verify an Indian company before doing business with it?
Start with its filings on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs registry (directors, shareholders, charges and financial statements), then check litigation, insolvency and regulatory records and adverse media, and confirm who ultimately owns and controls it. For significant relationships, investigative due diligence adds discreet enquiries with industry sources and a ranked red-flag report.
Speak to us in confidence