The Future of the Indian Law Firm
Structure, Market, and Reform
The Future of the Indian Law Firm: Structure, Market, and Reform is a timely examination of how India’s corporate legal sector must and can evolve to remain competitive in an increasingly globalised market. As India approaches the centenary of the Republic, the legal profession – long central to the country’s constitutional, economic, and institutional development – faces structural and regulatory questions that can no longer be deferred. This report analyses the regulatory architecture governing Indian law firms and identifies the reforms necessary to enable them to scale, innovate, and compete internationally while preserving the profession’s core values.
Drawing on comparative experience from leading jurisdictions and consultations with law firm leaders, regulators, and policymakers, the report focuses on five foundational areas: permitted employment structures, restrictions on advertising and soliciting, alternative business structures and multidisciplinary practices, foreign participation, and enrolment systems. It argues that calibrated reform can strengthen professional independence while unlocking capital, talent, transparency, and technology adoption.
This is not a call to abandon the idea of law as a noble profession but to modernise its institutional framework so that Indian law firms can operate as sophisticated, globally credible enterprises while serving domestic clients more effectively. The report aims to provide a serious starting point for policymakers, regulators, and the profession itself to think strategically about the next phase of India’s legal services market.
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About the Authors
Jay is a Senior Resident Fellow in the Research Director's Office. He has worked on a number of engaged projects with the Government of India and State Governments, providing both legal research and legislative drafting support. He has worked with, among others, NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. He obtained his undergraduate degree in law from the University of Cambridge in 2018.
Navami Krishnamurthy is a Research Fellow for the Founder’s Office at Vidhi Karnataka. Her research interests lie in the areas of constitutional law, criminal and gender justice and their interplay with society. Before joining Vidhi, Navami worked under Senior Advocate Dr. Aditya Sondhi at his Bangalore chambers and engaged in constitutional, criminal and civil matters as well as research in the areas of criminal and constitutional law. She holds an undergraduate degree (BA LLB (Hons.) Programme) in law from OP Jindal Global University, Sonepat. Her hobbies include travelling, watching true-crime documentaries, horror movies and reading.
Surbhi is a Research Fellow in the Research Director's Office. Prior to joining Vidhi, Surbhi completed her BA in International Relations from Stanford University, followed by a BA in Jurisprudence (3-year LLB) from the University of Oxford in 2023. Through Oxford Human Rights Institute, she served as a Bonavero Fellow with REDRESS, working on strategic litigation and advocacy for survivors of torture. Her own academic interests lie in feminist jurisprudence, constitutional law, and human rights. At Vidhi, she has been involved with both independent and engaged projects, providing legislative drafting assistance to various government Departments and Ministries.
