The central civil and commercial laws of India run from the Indian Contract Act, 1872 — still the foundation of every agreement in the country — through the Code of Civil Procedure, the Arbitration Act, the Companies Act and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
Civil law governs disputes between persons — property, contracts, family, torts — while commercial law governs business: companies, securities, insolvency, foreign exchange and consumer protection. India’s commercial framework has been transformed since 2016 by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the 2015-2021 arbitration reforms and specialised commercial courts under the amended Code of Civil Procedure.
This page lists the principal central civil and commercial statutes in force, what each covers, and links to authoritative texts. All acts here are central laws enacted by Parliament — state-enacted laws are covered separately.
Contents
Commercial Foundations
| Act | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Indian Contract Act, 1872 (9 of 1872) | The law of agreements: formation, consideration, capacity, free consent, performance, breach and remedies, plus indemnity, guarantee, bailment and agency. |
| Sale of Goods Act, 1930 (3 of 1930) | Contracts for the sale of goods: passing of property and risk, conditions and warranties, and remedies of the seller and buyer. |
| Indian Partnership Act, 1932 (9 of 1932) | General partnerships: relations of partners, registration, dissolution and the liability of the firm. |
| Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 (6 of 2009) | LLPs: incorporation, partners’ duties, and the corporate veil with partnership flexibility. |
| Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013) | Incorporation, management and winding-up of companies: directors’ duties, audits, class actions, and the NCLT/NCLAT machinery. |
| Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (26 of 1881) | Promissory notes, bills of exchange and cheques — including section 138 dishonour of cheques, among the most-litigated provisions in India. |
| Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999) | Foreign exchange, capital account transactions, and the enforcement machinery of the RBI. |
Dispute Resolution and Insolvency
| Act | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) | The procedure of civil courts: suits, jurisdiction, interim orders, execution and appeals; amended for commercial courts and commercial divisions with case-management timelines. |
| Specific Relief Act, 1963 (47 of 1963) | Specific performance, injunctions and declaratory relief; the 2018 amendment made specific performance the general rule and introduced substituted performance. |
| Limitation Act, 1963 (36 of 1963) | The time limits for filing suits and applications — three years for most money and contract claims — and the rules on computing limitation. |
| Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (26 of 1996) | Domestic and international arbitration and conciliation, strengthened by the 2015, 2019 and 2021 amendments. |
| Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (31 of 2016) | The unified insolvency framework for companies, partnerships and individuals: corporate insolvency resolution, liquidation and the NCLT machinery. |
| Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (35 of 2019) | Consumer rights, product liability, unfair trade practices, and the three-tier district-state-national consumer commissions; replaced the 1986 Act. |
Related libraries: our central land and property laws, banking and finance and taxation libraries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which law governs contracts in India?
The Indian Contract Act, 1872 governs the formation and enforcement of contracts, together with the Sale of Goods Act, 1930 for sales and the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 or Companies Act, 2013 for the contracting entity.
What is the limitation period for a civil suit in India?
Three years for most claims for money, contracts and torts under the Limitation Act, 1963; property and mortgage claims run longer. Missing the period ordinarily bars the suit.
What replaced the Consumer Protection Act, 1986?
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — it introduced product liability, e-commerce rules and stricter penalties, with effect from 20 July 2020.
This page is a general library guide published for the Knowledge Centre and is not legal advice. For advice on a specific matter, please contact the firm.