Legal validity in India

What a contract signed electronically in AxisIQ is under Indian law, which documents cannot be e-signed, and what Axis does not cover.

This page explains what signing in AxisIQ gives you under Indian law. It is general information, not legal advice.

What an AxisIQ signature is

Each signer receives a personal link, proves control of their email address with a one-time code, agrees to sign electronically and types their name. Every step is recorded in a tamper-evident audit trail, and the signed copy carries a certificate of completion and a digital seal.

  • A valid electronic contract. Section 10A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 provides that a contract formed by electronic means is not unenforceable for that reason. Most commercial agreements — NDAs, service, supply, consultancy, licences, offer letters — can be concluded this way.
  • Not an "electronic signature" under Section 3A. That term covers only the methods in the Act's Second Schedule: Aadhaar eSign and a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC). Where a law or a counterparty specifically requires one of those, use it instead.
  • Evidence. The audit trail and certificate of completion record who signed, when, from where and how they were identified, and the seal shows the file has not changed since. Together they support a certificate under Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 if the contract is ever produced in evidence.

Documents that cannot be signed electronically

The IT Act's First Schedule excludes these, and Axis refuses to send them for e-signature:

  • Negotiable instruments other than cheques (for example promissory notes and bills of exchange)
  • Powers of attorney
  • Trust deeds
  • Wills
  • Contracts for the sale or conveyance of immovable property, or any interest in it (this includes leases)

Sign these on paper, then add the executed copy to the register with Already signed.

Stamp duty

Many agreements attract stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act or a state's stamp law, and an unstamped agreement may not be admissible in evidence until the duty and any penalty are paid. AxisIQ does not buy or attach e-stamp paper; arrange stamping (for example through SHCIL e-stamping) as your state requires.

Checking a signed copy

Open the signed PDF in a PDF reader and look at its signature panel. It shows the document has not been modified since it was sealed. The seal is AxisIQ's own, so a reader may say the signer's identity is unknown — the identity of each signer is established by the certificate of completion and the audit trail, not by the seal.