Q: Which are the states of India?

A: The States of India are: Andhra Pradesh • Arunachal Pradesh • Assam • Bihar • Chhattisgarh • Goa • Gujarat • Haryana • Himachal Pradesh • Jammu and Kashmir • Jharkhand • Karnataka • Kerala • Madhya Pradesh • Maharashtra • Manipur • Meghalaya • Mizoram • Nagaland • Orissa • Punjab • Rajasthan • Sikkim • Tamil Nadu • Tripura • Uttaranchal • Uttar Pradesh • West Bengal. The Union territories in India are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands • Chandigarh • Dadra and Nagar Haveli • National Capital Territory of Delhi • Daman and Diu • Lakshadweep • Pondicherry.

Types of Process Services in India

• Service in India under the Hauge Convention
• Personal Service in India
• Letter Rogatory

Documents Served 

• Serving Summons in India
• Serving Complaints in India
• Serving Petitions in India
• Serving Subpoena in India
• Serving Divorce papers in India
• Serving Commercial papers in India
• Serving Corporate litigation papers in India
• Serving Other Judicial and Extra-Judicial documents in Civil and Commercial Matters in India

Where required:

• In Civil matters, including Matrimonial, Divorce, Custody, family law and others; Commercial & Corporate Matters.

Applicable law in India

1. India is now a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extra-Judicial documents in Civil and Commercial Matters. India acceded to the Hague Service Convention in late 2006 and the treaty is enforced in India from August 1, 2007.

2. The Indian Code of Civil Procedure, Act of 1908 (CPC).

Formal Service of Process or Documents in India from the Courts of Foreign Countries who are signatory to the Hague Convention:

India is now a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extra-Judicial documents in Civil and Commercial Matters.  Therefore, the formal method for service in India with effect from August 1, 2007 is pursuant to the Hague Convention and declaration or special conditions mentioned by India in while signing the Hague Convention.

The declarations to the Hague Service Convention made by India include the following conditions:

• Documents for service must be written in the English language. This is a good news for USA litigants who do not have to bear the costs of translation.
• Documents can not be served via mail.
• Documents must be served in India indirectly via proper authority.
• Documents under the Hague Convention can not be served directly to the defendants in India by private judicial officer.

In addition all the requirements of the Hague Convention must be met while serving the documents, complaints, summons / subpoena in all Civil matters, including Matrimonial, Divorce, Custody, family law and others; Commercial & Corporate Matters.

Advantage: Enforceable judgment in the country where documents served.

Disadvantage: Completion of the service usually takes longer.

Where used: Civil matters, including Matrimonial, Divorce, Custody, family law and others; Commercial & Corporate Matters.

In an nutshell, for a case filed in a court in the United States of America, the service in India under the Hague Convention is generally required. Specially, if the judgment given by a court in the USA (or any other foreign country which is signatory to the Hague Convention), is to be enforced in India, then service under the Hague Convention is required. However, since the service under the Hague Convention takes a longer time, some people prefer to do both, Personal Service along with the Service under the Hague Convention. 

Personal Service in India

Private process servers may serve documents in most countries, whether a signatory to the Hague Service Convention, or not. Typical service takes less than one month, which is shorter than service under the Hague Convention. Service of process via this methods generally meets the USA federal or state rules only. Service is normally handled in a manner similar to methods used in the United States, although completion of the service usually takes slightly longer than the United States.  This method of service is not provided for by the laws of India and may not result in an enforceable judgment in India.

Advantage: No delays: completion of the service is faster; Lesser costs; Enforceable judgment in the home country.

Disadvantage: Judgment may not be enforceable in India, depending upon the matter.

In an nutshell, for a case filed in a court in the United States of America, the service in India under the Hague Convention is generally required. Specially, if the judgment given by a court in the USA (or any other foreign country which is signatory to the Hague Convention), is to be enforced in India, then service under the Hague Convention is required. However, since the service under the Hague Convention takes a longer time, some people prefer to do both, Personal Service along with the Service under the Hague Convention. 

Letter Rogatory:

A letter rogatory, also known as a “letter of request”, is a request from a court in the United States to a court in a foreign country requesting international judicial assistance in effecting service of process.

This method is time consuming, cumbersome, and should be used only when other options are not available. The use of this method is not recommended by the U.S. State Department given the habitual time delays from one to two 2 years in the execution of requests. Fees for this method of service are generally higher than other methods.

Advantage: It creates a case in the country where the documents are served and makes judgment enforceable.

Disadvantage: Time delays and higher costs.