English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest business news

Indian start-up to provide unique search platform, data bank for Indian legal pros

Published

on

LegitQuest

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Pioneers in Asia: LegitQuest’s technology provides solutions to legal search problems with case references just a click away

In India, every industry or service sector is unique and gets impacted by technology differently. The legal service sector is one such critical sector which ensures that all rules and regulations constituted are implemented well.

The Indian legal services market expanded by 16 per cent through the 2007–12 fiscal years. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.9 percent between 2015 and 2018. The use and impact of technology arrived a little later in the Indian Legal Services Sector than in other sectors. The use of Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, deep learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP), already implemented in various other sectors, such as Healthcare, Banking, Services etc., is now picking up pace within the Legal Services Sector.

Many Indian Legal-Tech startups are looking to leverage such state-of-the-art, modern technologies to make the life of legal professionals easier, more efficient and simpler.

The legal profession is considered to be one of the largest, and a noble profession in India. About 17 lakh lawyers are currently practising in India. But in the years gone by, practising litigation had been a hard task for them. An active litigation requires a practitioner to put approximately a third of his/her time in carrying out solid legal research for his/her cases. And this can only happen if the professionals have sufficient and reliable resources to back their research. Gone are the days when lawyers used to maintain a vast library in their offices/homes.

In this era of digitization, most lawyers, judges and students have moved online to carry out their basic research. However, there is a scarcity of efficient search portals and research tools for them to use for the purpose. Yet 33.9 % of the attorneys frequently initiate their research by using Google, which is the most generic search engine.

And in this search, legal stakeholders are still wasting precious time scanning for relevant case laws or any other secondary source. That has remained a problem issue. There is a great need to have a legal data oriented smart-search engine. Also, case law data is still served in the raw form in India by many online legal data companies. Even when, after wasting a lot of time, the user gets the relevant data, they still have a hard time extracting a specific piece of information that he/she needs for a proper case analysis. The whole approach of reading and analysing case laws demands a revolutionary change. Only that will lead to more efficient and faster research.

LegitQuest as a solution provider

Such significant gaps in the legal research domain in India provide strong reasons for any young, courageous and innovative company to derive a solution. LegitQuest (https://www.legitquest.com/) is such a company.

LegitQuest is a Legal-Tech venture run by a versatile team of tech-savvy attorneys, engineers, designers and management professionals from top-notch universities and institutes who aim to make the practice of law simpler for its end users. Among the professionals are PhD’s and LLMs, sourced from IITs, IIMs and other reputable institutions.

LegitQuest seeks to transform centuries-old unorganised and unstructured legal data for the benefit of the legal fraternity. LegitQuest believes in providing access to a vast and comprehensive legal data bank to its users in the most reliable, accurate, valuable and speedy manner.

Who we are at LegitQuest

LegitQuest has eminent jurist Mr Ram Jethmalani as its investor, patron and advisor. The company is the initiative of Mr Karan Kalia who is also the CEO. He had previously worked with Mr Ram Jethmalani for more than six years. He has done his Masters of Laws (LLM) and the Wharton Business program from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, USA. The core team also consists of Mr Himanshu Puri, who takes care of the business operations and management of the company. He has lately worked with one of the most renowned start-ups, UpGrad.com. He holds a Doctorate in Management and a Masters degree in Business Administration from IBS, Hyderabad.

The team also has Mr Rohit Shukla, who is head of Engineering and Technology of the company. He had been the technology head of Lexis India for five years within his vast experience of more than 20 years. He is an alumnus of IIT, Bombay and IIM, Calcutta.

The stakeholders

LegitQuest has built a one of its kind go-to platform with the most advanced technologies for the communities of attorneys, law firms, state judicial officers, law students, corporates, the government, consulting companies, litigants, and many other stakeholders in the legal system.

What we do (Search Engine & Research Tool) and How (the Technology)

To solve the issue of finding a relevant case law or another secondary source, LegitQuest  has come up with the most advanced search engine, called as iSearch, developed by using Artificial Intelligence. Such an engine helps find any case by typing the case citation, party name, judge name or anything as free text. It aids to improve user’s work processes, reduce cost and ultimately generates favourable results for users.

It is a known fact that our brain has a hard time processing unstructured and complex data. With the help of machine learning, LegitQuest has also transformed complex and raw data into a user-friendly form to help legal stakeholders to research faster and more efficiently. LegitQuest has a feature called as iDraf that provides the user with decision, reasoning, arguments and finding of a case with just a click. This tool contains tabs that take the user to specific portions of the judgment within a few seconds for making the job of analysing the case simpler and faster.

It must be mentioned here that iDRAF is an absolutely unique feature developed by LegitQuest. Such a feature is not available anywhere else in the world, including start-ups such as Westlaw, LexisNexis and Bloomberg. This is the USP of LegitQuest.

Experts have proven that visuals have a positive impact on the human mind for learning and memorising. LegitQuest is also coming up with iGraphics that condense the treatment of overruled, distinguished, followed and relied upon case laws in relevant figures and charts making data into a single canvas for easy reference and understanding.

The Vision – One Stop solution for legal stakeholders

It does not end here for LegitQuest. LegitQuest is in the process of devising various other features for its users to make their work easier. Some of them are in the pipeline, such as iAlert. Right now, lawyers and litigants spend substantial time in checking the cause list on a frequent basis to get themselves updated about their case hearings. iAlert will notify about the case hearing of a pending matter in various High Courts and the Supreme Court of India. The notification will be sent through SMS, Email and later on through Mobile App. LegitQuest envisions making the legal practice more convenient, effortless and qualitative in India and abroad. The team wants to make LegitQuest as a one-stop solution for its users with the help of such supporting features.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Modi says right time to invest in Indian shipping sector; meets global CEOs

Published

on

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday exhorted global investors to take bets on the Indian shipping sector, pointing out that this is the “right time” for such a move.

The Prime Minister also met a select chief executives of global majors, including DP World and APM, at a specially convened meeting on the sidelines of the India Maritime Week 2025 held here.

“For all of you hailing from different countries, this is the right time to work in the Indian shipping sector and also expand (your presence),” Modi said during a public address before the closed-door meeting with CEOs.

Modi listed several targets being chased by India in the maritime sector over the next few years, and underlined the importance of the global community in the same.

“You all are an important partner who will help us achieve all our aims. We welcome your ideas, innovations and investments,” Modi said.

He said that India allows 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the shipping and ports sector, and also provides incentives under the “Make In India, and Make For The World” vision.

Addressing an audience, including leaders of various companies, the Prime Minister affirmed India’s commitment to strengthening the supply chain resilience at a global level.

He also said that India is engaged in creating world-class mega ports, and cited the work undertaken on the Vadhavan Port to the north of the financial capital, which entered the top-10 firms in the world on the first day.

The government is also looking to grow the capacity at 12 major ports by four times and increase India’s share in containerised cargo at the global level.

Later, Modi held a meeting with top CEOs of shipping sector companies from across the world.

As per people in the know, he met AP Moller-Maersk Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla, DP World Group Chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Mediterranean Shipping Company Chief Executive Soren Toft, Adani Ports and SEZ Managing Director Karan Adani and French company CMA-CGM’s Senior Vice President Ludovic Renou.

The participation from over 85 countries in the IMW sends a strong message, Modi said, noting the presence of CEOs of major shipping giants, startups, policymakers, and innovators at the event.

The Prime Minister also thanked Port of Singapore (PSA) for the nearly Rs 8,000 crore investment in the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority’s fourth terminal, pointing out that this is also the largest FDI in the port sector in India.

Modi said more than 150 new initiatives have been launched under the ‘Maritime India Vision’, resulting in nearly doubling the capacity of major ports, a substantial reduction in turnaround time, and a new momentum in cruise tourism.

—PTI

Continue Reading

Economy news

ITR filing last date today: What taxpayers must know about penalties and delays

The deadline for ITR filing ends today, September 15. Missing it may lead to penalties, interest charges, refund delays, and loss of tax benefits.

Published

on

Income Tax Return

The deadline to file Income Tax Returns (ITR) for most taxpayers, including salaried individuals, pensioners, and small businesses not requiring audit, ends today, September 15. Those who miss the due date face penalties, interest charges, and loss of certain tax benefits.

Penalties for late filing

If the return is not filed by the deadline, taxpayers can still file a belated return until December 31. However, under Section 234F of the Income Tax Act, late filing attracts penalties.

  • For income up to Rs5 lakh: penalty is capped at Rs1,000.
  • For income above Rs5 lakh: penalty increases to Rs5,000.

Additionally, if any tax remains unpaid, Section 234A imposes an interest of 1% per month (or part thereof) until the return is filed.

Consequences of missing deadline

  • Loss of certain tax benefits: Belated filers cannot carry forward specific losses such as business or capital losses.
  • Restrictions on tax regime change: Taxpayers lose the option to switch between old and new tax regimes after the deadline.
  • Refund delays: Those eligible for refunds will face delays compared to timely filers.

Steps to file before time runs out

  • Gather documents: Form 16, Form 26AS, Annual Information Statement (AIS), bank interest certificates, and proofs of investments or deductions.
  • Use the e-filing portal: File immediately to avoid last-minute portal congestion.
  • Verify your return: Ensure the ITR is verified electronically or physically for it to be considered valid.

Continue Reading

Economy news

India’s GDP surges 7.8% in Q1, outpaces estimates and China

India’s GDP surged 7.8% in Q1 2025-26, the highest in five quarters, driven by strong services and agriculture sector growth, according to NSO data.

Published

on

GDP Growth

India’s economy recorded a sharp growth of 7.8% in the April-June quarter (Q1) of 2025-26, surpassing the earlier estimate of 6.5% and outpacing China’s 5.2% growth in the same period. The figure also marks a notable rise from the 6.5% growth in the corresponding quarter last year, making it the fastest expansion in the last five quarters.

Strong performance across key sectors

According to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the surge was driven primarily by the services sector, which expanded 9.3% compared to 6.8% a year ago, and the agriculture sector, which rose 3.7% against 1.5% last year.

The construction sector, however, witnessed a slowdown, growing 7.6% compared to 10.1% in the same quarter of the previous fiscal.

RBI’s earlier forecast

Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had projected a more modest Q1 growth of 6.5%, with overall real GDP growth for 2025-26 expected at 6.5%. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra attributed the positive outlook to favorable conditions, including a good monsoon, lower inflation, and strong government capital expenditure.

He said, “The above normal southwest monsoon, lower inflation, rising capacity utilisation and congenial financial conditions continue to support domestic economic activity. The supportive monetary, regulatory and fiscal policies, including robust government capital expenditure, should also boost demand. The services sector is expected to remain buoyant, with sustained growth in construction and trade in the coming months.”

India remains fastest-growing major economy

With China reporting 5.2% growth in April-June, India has retained its position as the world’s fastest-growing major economy. The latest figures highlight resilience in the face of external pressures, including recent US tariffs on Indian imports.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com