INDIA START UP INITIATIVE - KEY POINTS

Start Up Initiative by our PM Mr. Modi is an action plan to boost such ventures which are seen as key to employment generation and wealth creation. This is the beginning of big bang start up boom in India.

Lets understand the basic motive and benefits of the above stated Action Plan .

1.) Objective

The objective of compliance regime based on self certification is to reduce the regulatory burden on startups. This self-certification will apply to laws like payment of gratuity, contract labour, employees provident fund, water and air pollution acts.

2. Startup India hub

A startup India hub will be created as a single point of contact for the entire startup ecosystem to enable knowledge exchange and access to funding.

3. Simplifying the startup process

 A startup will be to able to set up by just filling up a short form through a mobile app and online portal.  A mobile app will be launched on April 1 through which startups can be registered in a day. There will also be a portal for clearances, approvals and registrations

4. Patent protection

The government is also working on a legal support for fast-tracking patent examination at lower costs. It will promote awareness and adoption of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) by startups and help them protect and commercialise IPRs.

5. Funds of funds with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore

In order to provide funding support to startups, the government will set up a fund with an initial corpus of Rs 2,500 crore and a total corpus of Rs 10,000 crore over four years. The fund would be managed by private professionals drawn from the industry while LIC will be a co-investor in the fund. The credit guarantee fund for start-ups would help flow of venture debt from the banking system to start-ups by standing guarantee against risks.

6. Credit Guarantee Fund

A National Credit Guarantee Trust Company is being envisaged with a budgetary allocation of Rs 500 crore per year for the next four years.

7. Exemption from Capital Gains Tax

Currently, investments by venture capital funds in startups are exempt from this law. Now, the same is being extended to investments made by incubators in startups.

8. Tax exemption for startups

Income tax exemption to startups announced for three years

9. Tax exemption on investments above Fair Market Value

10. Startup fests

Innovation core programs for students in 5 lakh schools. There will also be an annual incubator grand challenge to create world class incubators

11. Launch of Atal Innovation Mission

Atal Innovation Mission started to give an impetus to innovation and encourage the talent among the people

12. Setting up of 35 new incubators in institutions

PPP model being considered for 35 new incubators, 31 innovation centres at national institutes

13. Setting up of 7 new research parks

Government shall set up seven new research parks - six in IITs, one in IISc with an initial investment of Rs 100 crore each.

14. Promote entrepreneurship in biotechnology

Five new bio clusters, 50 new bio incubators, 150 technology transfer offices and 20 bio connect offices will be established.

15. Innovation focused programmes for students

There will be innovation core programs for students in 5 lakh schools.

16. Panel of facilitators to provide legal support and assist in filing of patent application

17. 80 per cent rebate on filing patent applications by startups

18. Relaxed norms of public procurement for startups

19. Faster exits for startups

If a start-up fails, the government will also assist the entrepreneurs to find suitable solutions for their problems. If they fail again, the government will provide an easy way out.

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START UP INDIA INITIATIVE- ROLE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS IN SHAPING START UPS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kicked off the ambitious Startup India Movement. The government programme aims to fill gaps in the economy for the growth and development of startups and will aim to boost digital entrepreneurship at the grassroots .

The role of professional chartered accountants in the start-up scheme is essential, vast and comprehensive. As the partners in nation building it is undoubtedly not only an opportunity in professional domain but it is also a responsibility for interest in large. As we see that the growing complexity has made the business atmosphere comparatively difficult in terms of identification of potential grey areas in which most of the start-ups might find themselves in. The reason is that the start-ups that we are talking about are conventionally not Involved in normal routine trading activities but are mainly involved in e-commerce activities.

So now it is essential to measure and understand how can chartered accountants justify and help entrepreneurs in making sure that the venture results into a profitable and successful adventure. So, let us start with few points that are relevant for our discussion.

Finance professional

Chartered Accountants are trained professionals who work in the finance field. For start-ups undoubtedly one of the most key areas still remains to be fundraising and Managing their capital. It is a difficult job to ensure the important expenses are being met off at the same time the startup remains in a situation which is manageable in terms of financial profitability.

In such a situation there are very important areas to manage in terms of the working capital and the core seed capital of the start-up. Now here how can chartered accountants play a crucial role is important to understand. I see personally that there are two key areas that to look for, one that one must manage the banking affairs of the organisation in regard to financial needs like the banking overdraft etc, second is broader activity of raising capital either by venture capitalists, angel networks or by banking networks.

Chartered accountants need to equip themselves & understand how the process works and accordingly act as an interface for the promoters and the venture capitalists. Undoubtedly the promoters know more and will always continue to know more in terms of their business but chartered accountants understand the numbers better than anyone else does and hence can always be back end support for such promoters to give a good presentation and a good grasp of the affairs of the organisation with a potential investor.

Tax specialisation

We know that chartered accountants are professionally trained tax professionals. The fact that taxation is one of the main areas which are start-up faces beyond the fundamental areas of finance and fundraising is one of the criteria why chartered accountants play a significant and crucial role to help smoothen the business operations.

We know that most of the transactions in start-ups specially in the start-up is the e-commerce player requires a complete an exhaustive structuring in terms of the taxation and the relevant events that an company faces. Hence the relevancy of a person well equipped with the tax laws whether it may be direct taxation, indirect taxation or any other tax involved.

Secretarial matters

Chartered accountants along with other professionals like company secretaries are specialists in the matter of secretarial compliances. As start-up generally are in the form of a registered company ensuring the compliances of companies act 2013 is of high relevance. Now the companies act 2013 is an Act full of complexities and jargons which are changing every day and the notifications are coming very frequently that are resulting into changing of the law every next day or two. The penal consequence is the act are significant and start-ups cannot afford to miss the compliances which are relevant to be duly complied with.

Being professionals it is the role of chartered accountants, company secretaries and cost accountants to ensure that the start-ups are able to comply and adhere to the norms laid down by the companies act 2013.

Start-up scheme

We know that recently our Prime Minister have launched a start-up scheme for developing and promoting start-ups in India. A lot of of tax benefits and other key liberalisations have been offered these start-ups to ensure that the country booms with start-ups and the economic growth following it.

The income tax benefits, the tax holiday period benefits, the freedom from inspector raj, the reduction in the cost of patenting, digitalisation, smoother incorporation  and number of other  matters will require a clear due diligence before it is implemented in the start-up.

Every single impact and every single assessment can be clearly passes by chartered accountants domain and should be readily dealt by them. For example, whether a start-up is eligible to enter into this start-up scheme shall be a chartered accountants domain. Next, if the start-up is available then the certification required to enter into this start-up scheme should again be another domain. And the list continues.

The concept of virtual CFO

Most of us understand the concept of virtual CFO. For those who do not understand I would like to discuss here. Now, why is this relevant for us. The relevancy is because the start-ups are generally coming from people who are not of finance background. They might be engineers or doctors or any other professionals with a brilliant idea and the passion to convert this idea into a successful start-up.

In such a scenario chartered accountant can actually handle and operate just like Chief financial officer of the start-up and ensure complete ad hoc and bird eye view of the complete entity. His role shall be to understand the areas of non-compliances and ensure effective addressal of the matter if so required.

Compliance check up

In this modus of operation instead of choosing a full-time or part-time compliance officer one can appoint a chartered accountant to do the compliance audit of the organisation and identify key areas of non compliances which should be addressed and immediately worked upon.

A chartered accountant is in a situation to best understand and identify what are the areas which will require a addressable and attention before the company can be presented to a venture capitalist for the infusion of funds.

Other Areas:-

• Business Structurisation

• Advisory

• Support in Integrating with Other Portals viz Flipkart, Snapdeal etc and to conduct necessary vat amendments are required by most of these well established players

• Highlight risk areas and suggesting potential mitigation strategies

• Risk Minimization

• Representations to Venture Capitalists

• Others

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