Financial Misreporting Takes a Toll on Indian Start-Ups
A forensic audit report will have a significant impact on Indian startups, stakeholders, and professionals in institutional funding
9 February 2023
|
Jayashri Ghorpade
The confession of financial misreporting by GoMechanic's parent company co-founder and the resulting joint investigation by investors has affected the Indian startup ecosystem.
A forensic audit report will greatly affect Indian startups, stakeholders, and those involved in institutional funding.
It is crucial to build startups on sound value systems and follow strict compliances and corporate governance in all business operations.
The confession of financial misreporting by the co-founder of TargetOne Innovation, the parent company of GoMechanic ($285 million valuation last year), and the joint forensic investigation launched by investors, has impacted the Indian startup ecosystem. During due diligence, discrepancies in the company's revenue were flagged, prompting the co-founder to confess to the errors in the reports and initiate an investigation.
Amit Bhasin, a co-founder, admitted to making errors in judgement, including financial reporting. This has negative impacts on the company's revenue, operations, and employability, as well as serious consequences for investors who invested heavily based on the company's monthly statements and reports.
The previous series of investments, valuations, and due diligence are unclear as to why "errors" were not flagged, despite the involvement of different investors and professionals. The extent of financial misreporting is under investigation, and the report may reveal the degree of misreporting and alleged negligence or oversight by institutional investors and the professionals they engaged.
Section 447 of the Companies Act 2013 emphasizes punishment for fraudulent acts and lists out possible punishments in addition to damages and penalties under other applicable laws. The Act's Section 36 deals with "investment fraud" where an investor is fraudulently induced to invest funds or enter into an agreement. This is punishable under Section 447. Section 448 also punishes "false statements" in documents with false material particulars, which can lead to proceedings under the Indian Penal Code, Indian Contract Act for misrepresentation, breach of trust, negligence, and fraud. Section 447 applies other remedies and enforcement actions under relevant laws.
Apply to Xartup Fellowship Program
Get ₹1.5 Crore Technical Funding
A forensic audit report will greatly affect Indian startups, stakeholders, and those involved in institutional funding. The case of GoMechanic, whose investment deal with Softbank Group was withdrawn due to discrepancies in reporting, highlights the importance of thorough audit reports. Despite past investments and evaluations, the company is now under close scrutiny and the founder has admitted to inaccuracies in reporting.
Investor oversight and professionals' scrutiny of startups can make potential investors wary. Recent lapses in corporate governance, such as with GoMechanic, Zilingo, Trell, BharatPe, and others, will increase scrutiny of startups and financial misreporting. This could lead to consequences such as acquisitions, restructuring, investor exits, layoffs, and difficulty securing future funding. Investors will also place greater emphasis on due diligence and be more cautious in their approach.
It is crucial to build startups on sound value systems and follow strict compliances and corporate governance in all business operations. Financial reporting must be backed by real data and free of misstatements, and projections must be realistic. Investors invest significant funds based on trust in the promoters' management, making it important to ensure accountability and integrity in the startups and promoters.
The government is simplifying compliances for small companies and providing funding and assistance to startups, but non-compliance or misreporting can harm the startup ecosystem. Startups require additional measures such as forensic audit, whistle-blower mechanism, and quarterly reporting for survival and integrity. Good corporate governance, not just financials, is crucial for long-term business sustainability.
Startup news delivered to your mail
Recommended for you
Paytm Loss Widens and Revenue Shrinks as it Grapples with Regulatory Clampdown
Discover 2023's 10 Hottest Upcoming IPOs
India Budget 2024: 5 Key Takeaways for Investors