How to choose contract management software in India: 10 questions to ask

There are dozens of contract management tools, and most demos look alike. These ten questions help you find the one that fits how your company actually works, in India.

1. Can it draft, or only store?

Some tools are just a contract repository. Ask whether it can create a first draft from your templates, or from a description in plain words, and whether it keeps every version as you edit.

2. How good is the review?

Upload one of your real contracts during the trial. Does the tool point out one-sided clauses, missing protections and vague payment terms? Does it suggest the actual wording to ask for, or only a warning?

3. Can it follow your company's rules?

Every company has red lines: liability caps, payment days, governing law. Look for a playbook feature where you write these down once, so every review checks against them.

4. How do approvals work?

Ask who can send a contract, who must approve it first, and whether approvals can happen in steps (for example, legal then finance). Check that a contract cannot go out until it is approved.

5. Who is allowed to sign for the company?

Signing authority matters in India, where a contract signed by the wrong person can be challenged. Can you list the people allowed to sign for the company and block everyone else?

6. Does e-signing suit Indian practice?

Check that signers don't need an account, that you get a signed PDF with an audit certificate (who signed, when, from where), and that the document has a fingerprint so changes can be detected.

7. What about stamp duty?

Many agreements in India need stamp duty. A good tool lets you attach the e-stamp certificate to the contract before it is signed, so the stamped and signed document travel together.

8. Where is the data kept?

Contracts hold sensitive information. Ask which country and cloud region the data is stored in, who at the vendor can read your contracts, and whether downloads are logged.

9. Will your team actually use it?

The best tool is the one people open. Try it with a salesperson and a finance person, not only the legal team. If it needs a week of training, adoption will suffer.

10. What does it really cost?

Look beyond the monthly price. Ask about per-user charges, per-signature charges, limits on AI reviews, setup fees and what happens to your data if you leave. A free plan or trial with real features is a good sign.

A quick scorecard

Score each tool from 1 to 5 on drafting, review, playbook, approvals, signing authority, e-signature, e-stamp, data location, ease of use and total cost. The total tells you more than any demo.

April was built around these questions for companies in India and the UAE. See how April's contract management software handles each step, or start free and test it with your own contracts.