India, May 2 -- India Inc.'s legal bill is rising as companies spend more to avoid costly missteps in an environment shaped by tighter regulation and geopolitical uncertainty.

Top companies are estimated to have spent Rs 69,000-72,000 crore on legal matters in the year ended March 2026 (FY26), according to Vahura, a governance search and consulting firm.

'From our conversations with general counsels and law firms, we estimate a I5%-20% rise in legal expenses for corporate India (in FY26)," said Ritvik Lukose, chief executive officer of Vahura. "This includes expansion of in-house legal teams, creation of specialist roles, investment in legal tech and increased external legal fees."

In FY25, the spending was up a little over 14% at Rs ...