New Delhi, April 30 -- India's top companies are estimated to have spent anywhere between Rs.69,000 crore and Rs.72,000 crore on legal matters in the fiscal year ended March. The spending has risen from Rs.60,000 crore in FY25 due to shifting regulations, geopolitical risks and rising compliance demands. And this is set to grow at a quicker pace this year amid the ongoing global disruptions, experts said.

"From our conversations with general counsels and law firms, we estimate a 15% -20% rise in legal expenses for corporate India (in FY26)," said Ritvik Lukose, chief executive officer of Vahura, a governance search and consulting firm. "This includes expansion of inhouse legal teams, creation of specialist roles, investment in legal tech...