POSH Act 2013 · For startups and IT companies

POSH compliance for startups and IT companies

Ten people is all it takes, and interns and trainees count. Remote teams are not exempt. Set up your Internal Committee and policy before your first investor asks for them.

From ₹22,499 a year for up to 30 employees · setup included · prices exclusive of GST

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At a glance

Which POSH duties apply to a startup?

POSH duties for startups and IT companies, with the source of each.
Headcount	10 or more employees at a workplace. Interns, trainees, apprentices, probationers and contract workers count, paid or unpaid.Source: Sections 2(f) and 4 ↗
Remote and hybrid teams	Covered. “Workplace” includes any place an employee visits for work, including transport the employer provides.Source: Section 2(o) ↗
Complaints against a founder	Go to the district’s Local Committee, not your own committee.Source: Section 6(1) ↗
Every year	The committee’s annual report to the employer and the District Officer.Source: Section 21 ↗
Board’s Report	Companies that are not small companies, including subsidiaries and holding companies, state complaints received, disposed of and pending beyond 90 days, since 14 July 2025.Source: G.S.R. 357(E), 2025 ↗

Why startups get caught out

Which five things do founders often miss?

Headcount

Interns and trainees count

The Act counts trainees, apprentices, probationers and contract workers, paid or unpaid. A team of 7 staff and 4 interns is already past the line.

Source: Section 2(f) ↗

Remote teams

Remote work is not exempt

The Act defines “workplace” widely: any place an employee visits for work, including transport the employer provides. Harassment over calls and chat between colleagues can still be work-related. Say in your policy how remote and online conduct is handled.

Source: Section 2(o) ↗

Fundraising

Investors ask for it

Due diligence commonly includes your POSH policy, the order constituting your committee, annual reports and training records. Having them ready avoids a scramble before a round.

Private limited companies

Funding can change your filings

A company that becomes a subsidiary or holding company is no longer a “small company”. Its Board’s Report must then confirm the Internal Committee and, since 14 July 2025, state complaints received, disposed of and pending beyond 90 days.

Source: Companies Act s.2(85) ↗ · G.S.R. 357(E), 2025 ↗ · s.134(8) ↗

Founders

Complaints about a founder

If a complaint is against the employer, it goes to the district’s Local Committee, not your own. An independent external member on your committee also protects the fairness of every other case.

Source: Section 6(1) ↗

What you get

What does a small, fast-moving team get?

Dr. Priya Dubey Sharma as your external member. She takes part in every inquiry, by video or in person by arrangement.
Your POSH policy, committee order and appointment letters, drafted for your company.
An online complaint link and QR code, and a portal where each committee member has their own login.
Owners and HR see case status and deadlines, not complaint details, unless they sit on the committee.
Your Section 21 annual report from your records, and a dated audit pack for investor due diligence.
Optional online awareness sessions for your team or your committee (₹6,999 per session).

See all plans and prices · How we protect complaint data

Included in every plan

What proof do investors and enterprise clients want?

Due-diligence checklists and enterprise vendor forms ask for POSH evidence. These come with the plan at no extra cost.

Verification

A compliance badge anyone can check

Publish a Manas badge on your website and a printable QR version for your office. It links to a live page that shows whether your status is current today, so buyers and auditors can check it themselves. It is a record from Manas, not a government certificate.

Records

Certificate and audit pack

A dated compliance-status certificate and an audit-ready pack for each office: committee roster, checklist, complaint-log summary and an index of every document, for vendor audits and due diligence.

Deadlines

A compliance calendar that reminds you

Annual report due dates, committee tenure and training are tracked for you, with email reminders before each deadline, and a log of your quarterly committee meetings.

For the complainant

A tracking code for every complaint

Each complaint gets a tracking code, so the person who complained can check the status online, in English or Hindi, without asking anyone at work.

Filings

Board’s Report text for your CS

Once your startup is no longer a small company, the Board’s Report must disclose POSH complaints, headcount by gender and Maternity Benefit Act compliance. The portal drafts that paragraph from your records, and gives your committee an 11-format inquiry kit if a complaint comes in.

Low risk

14-day money-back

Change your mind within 14 days of paying for the annual plan and we refund the plan fee in full, as long as no signed documents have been issued yet. Refund policy.

Questions from founders

What do startups ask about POSH?

Is there a startup exemption from POSH?

No. The POSH Act has no exemption for startups or DPIIT-recognized companies. If a workplace has 10 or more employees, it needs an Internal Committee with an external member. Source: POSH Act, Section 4 ↗.

Do interns and freelancers count toward the 10?

Interns, trainees and apprentices count, whether paid or unpaid. Contract workers count too. Whether a particular freelancer counts depends on the arrangement, so if you are near the line, set up the committee. Source: Section 2(f) ↗.

We are fully remote. Do we still need POSH?

Yes, if you have 10 or more employees. The duty attaches to the employer, and the Act’s idea of a workplace is wide. Your committee can meet by video, and our portal and complaint link work online. Your policy should say how online conduct is covered.

What POSH documents do investors usually ask for?

Typically your POSH policy, the order constituting your Internal Committee with the external member’s nomination, your annual reports, and records of awareness sessions. Your portal keeps these together in a dated audit pack.

How much does it cost for a 15-person startup?

₹22,499 a year for up to 30 employees, including the external member, documents, portal and annual report. Prices are exclusive of GST. Setup is included.

Last updated: 26 September 2026 · General information, not legal advice. Manas is not a law firm and works alongside your legal counsel.

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