Company Policies &
Digital Operations Standards
Company overview
Orange Labs is a software development venture offering custom digital solutions including web applications, mobile platforms, API development, cloud integrations, and enterprise software to clients across India and internationally. All services, communications, contracts, deliverables, and support interactions are conducted and archived digitally.
Orange Labs operates a fully paperless, remote-first workflow. Physical presence is not required for any client engagement. The entity is managed and operated from India, with team members distributed across various locations.
All project deliverables are transmitted digitally via client portal, email, or shared cloud repository. No physical media is used.
Support, project management, billing, and communication are exclusively handled through digital platforms — portal, email, and ticketing systems.
Orange Labs serves startups, SMEs, and individual entrepreneurs primarily in India, with select international clients billed via SWIFT/wire transfer.
Legal status & registration
Until formal registration is completed, Orange Labs operates as an informal sole proprietorship / freelance entity under the professional capacity of its founder. This is a legally recognised form of business operation in India and does not invalidate any contract, obligation, or service agreement entered into by Orange Labs.
- All contracts and agreements entered into with Orange Labs are legally enforceable under the Indian Contract Act, 1872, even in the absence of formal company registration
- Invoices are issued under the founder's name / trade name "Orange Labs" and may not carry a CIN or LLPIN number at this time
- GST registration may not yet apply if annual turnover is below the threshold (₹20 lakhs for service providers; ₹10 lakhs for special category states). Clients will be informed in writing if GST is applicable
- Payments made to Orange Labs are received into a personal bank account or trade account held in the founder's name. This is standard practice for unregistered entities in India
- Orange Labs commits to completing formal registration and notifying all active clients by email within 7 days of registration completion
As an unregistered entity below the GST threshold, Orange Labs does not currently charge or collect GST. If and when GST registration is obtained, all clients will be notified and invoices will be updated accordingly. Professional Tax (where applicable by state) and personal income tax on earnings are the sole responsibility of the founder.
Digital services agreement
Engaging Orange Labs for any service — by making an advance payment, signing a proposal, or sending a written confirmation of intent — constitutes full acceptance of this policy. Digital agreements (email threads, portal acceptances, e-signed documents) carry legal enforceability under Section 10A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
- All project requirements, change requests, and approvals must be submitted via email or the designated project management channel
- Verbal commitments are not binding. Written digital confirmation is required for any commitment to be actionable
- Scope changes are documented as Change Requests (CRs) and require written client approval before implementation begins
- All project timelines, deliverables, and acceptance criteria are defined in the digitally agreed Statement of Work (SOW) or project proposal
- Clients must provide timely feedback within agreed review windows; delays caused by delayed client feedback may extend project timelines accordingly
Data privacy & protection
Orange Labs respects and protects the personal data of clients, collaborators, and end-users. While formal DPDP Act, 2023 compliance obligations fully apply to registered entities, Orange Labs voluntarily adheres to its principles as a matter of professional and ethical commitment.
| Data category | What we collect | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client identity | Name, email, phone number | Communication, contract, support | 3 years post-engagement |
| Project data | Briefs, assets, credentials, source code | Service delivery | Contract term + 1 year |
| Financial | Bank/UPI details, payment records | Invoicing, reconciliation | 7 years (tax compliance) |
| Communication logs | Email threads, chat messages | Support, dispute resolution | 2 years |
| Analytics | Portal usage, IP address (if applicable) | Security, UX | 90 days |
- Right to know what personal data Orange Labs holds about you
- Right to request correction of inaccurate or outdated data
- Right to request deletion of your data where no legal retention obligation exists
- Right to withdraw consent for non-essential communications at any time
- Right to raise a data privacy concern directly with the founder via the contact details in Section 13
Intellectual property rights
IP ownership is governed by the terms of the digitally agreed project proposal or SOW. In the absence of a specific clause, the following default framework applies:
| Asset | Default ownership | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Custom software built for client | Client | Upon receipt of full payment |
| Orange Labs internal frameworks / boilerplates | Orange Labs | Perpetual licence granted to client |
| Open-source components used | Respective OSS licences | Disclosed in project documentation |
| UI/UX designs & assets | Client | Upon receipt of full payment |
| Third-party libraries / APIs | Third-party owners | Subject to respective licence terms |
Orange Labs reserves the right to display completed work in its portfolio, on its website, and in case studies unless the client requests confidentiality in writing at or before project kickoff. Portfolio listings will not include any sensitive business logic, proprietary data, or client credentials.
Source code, design files, and other deliverables remain the property of Orange Labs until full payment is received. Access to final deliverables is granted upon payment confirmation. Partial deliverables shared for review purposes do not constitute transfer of ownership.
Digital payment & billing
All financial transactions are conducted digitally. Orange Labs issues digital invoices in PDF format via email. Invoices are issued under the trade name "Orange Labs" and include full payment details, project reference, and itemised work description.
- Bank transfer (NEFT / RTGS / IMPS) — preferred for all Indian clients; account details included in each invoice
- UPI (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM) — accepted for transactions up to ₹1,00,000
- International wire / SWIFT — for overseas clients; currency and correspondent bank details provided on request
- Payment link via Razorpay or Instamojo — issued on request for clients preferring card or net banking
For project-based engagements: 40% advance upon project confirmation, 30% upon mid-project milestone delivery, and 30% upon final delivery and client acceptance. For retainer or monthly maintenance contracts: invoiced at the start of each billing month, due within 7 days.
Invoices outstanding beyond 14 days will attract a reminder notice. Services may be paused on accounts overdue beyond 21 days, with 5 days' written notice given. A late payment charge of 1.5% per month may be applied at Orange Labs' discretion on overdue amounts.
Project delivery & SLA
Project timelines are agreed upon in the SOW or project proposal. Orange Labs tracks all deliverables via a shared project management board accessible to the client. All milestone completions and approvals are logged digitally.
| Priority | Definition | First response | Resolution target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical | System fully down or data security incident | 2 hours | Same business day |
| High | Major feature broken, blocking client operations | 4 hours | Within 48 hours |
| Medium | Non-critical bug, workaround available | 1 business day | 3–5 business days |
| Low | Enhancement request, general query | 2 business days | As per sprint / schedule |
SLA timelines apply during business hours: Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM IST. Support outside these hours is best-effort only unless an extended support arrangement is specifically agreed in writing.
All support requests must be raised via email or the designated communication channel. Phone calls are supplementary and do not constitute a formal support ticket. A ticket reference is issued for every support interaction.
Remote work & digital conduct
All Orange Labs team members, collaborators, and contracted freelancers work remotely and are bound by this conduct policy regardless of their location. The digital nature of all operations makes adherence to these standards essential.
- All official client communication is conducted via designated email or the project communication channel only — personal social media or informal messaging is not used for project matters without client consent
- Client credentials, access keys, and sensitive project data must never be stored in personal accounts, shared in plain-text messages, or transferred via unsecured channels
- All collaborators and freelancers must sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before receiving access to any client project or data. NDAs are executed digitally
- Screen recordings or screenshots of client systems require written approval from the project lead before being captured or shared
- All devices used to access client systems must have up-to-date operating systems, active firewall, and antivirus protection
Cybersecurity policy
Given that Orange Labs operates entirely in a digital environment, cybersecurity is treated as a foundational operational practice. The following standards apply to all internal operations and client-facing work.
- Client credentials and access keys are stored in an encrypted password manager (e.g., Bitwarden, 1Password); never in plain text, spreadsheets, or unencrypted notes
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled on all internal tools — email, cloud storage, code repositories, and project management platforms
- Source code is maintained in private, access-controlled repositories (e.g., GitHub Private). Access is revoked immediately upon end of engagement
- Client-facing applications developed by Orange Labs include basic security practices: input validation, HTTPS enforcement, and dependency vulnerability scanning
- In the event of a suspected data breach or security incident affecting client data, Orange Labs will notify the affected client within 72 hours of discovery via registered email
- Regular backups of all active project data are maintained on encrypted cloud storage with at least one geographically separate copy
Refund & cancellation policy
All refund and cancellation requests must be submitted in writing via email to the address listed in Section 13. Verbal or informal requests are not actionable. Refunds, where applicable, are processed to the original payment instrument within 7–14 business days.
| Scenario | Refund |
|---|---|
| Cancellation before project kickoff — within 48 hours of advance payment | 100% of advance refunded |
| Cancellation after kickoff, before first milestone delivery | 50% of advance refunded; remaining covers work hours spent |
| Cancellation mid-project (post first milestone) | No refund; work completed billed at agreed rate pro-rata |
| Orange Labs fails to deliver agreed milestone within 30 days of revised deadline (without written justification) | Pro-rata refund for undelivered work |
| Monthly retainer or maintenance contract cancellation | No mid-cycle refund; cancellation effective next billing cycle on 15-day written notice |
| Client dissatisfied with quality after final delivery and acceptance | One free revision round offered; no refund after formal written acceptance |
Grievance & dispute resolution
Orange Labs is committed to resolving all disputes fairly and promptly. The following escalation path applies:
- Step 1 — Direct resolution (0–7 days): Contact Orange Labs via email or project channel. The project lead will respond within 2 business days and attempt direct resolution
- Step 2 — Founder review (7–21 days): If unresolved, the client may escalate in writing to the founder. A formal written response with a resolution proposal will be issued within 7 business days
- Step 3 — Mediation (21–45 days): If still unresolved, both parties may agree to engage a neutral third-party mediator. Costs of mediation are shared equally unless otherwise agreed
- Step 4 — Arbitration: Disputes not resolved by mediation will be referred to binding arbitration under the Arbitration & Conciliation Act, 1996. Seat of arbitration: Pune, Maharashtra, India. Language: English. Each party bears their own legal costs
Legal & compliance framework
Although Orange Labs is not yet a formally registered entity, the following laws and frameworks govern its operations and provide legal standing for all contracts, data handling, and commercial activities:
All agreements and contracts entered into by Orange Labs carry full legal enforceability under this Act, regardless of registration status.
Digital contracts, e-signatures (Section 10A), data security obligations, and cybercrime provisions govern all digital operations.
Orange Labs voluntarily adheres to personal data protection principles, including consent, purpose limitation, and data subject rights.
Original software, designs, and documentation created by Orange Labs are protected under copyright from the moment of creation — no registration required.
All earnings are declared as professional income under the founder's personal PAN. TDS deductions by Indian clients (10% under Section 194J) are accepted and acknowledged.
Applicable provisions for digital services and e-commerce are observed as a professional standard, ensuring fair practice with all clients.
Policy amendments & contact
Orange Labs reserves the right to update or amend this policy at any time. Material changes — including those arising from formal registration, GST enrolment, or changes in applicable law — will be communicated to all active clients via email at least 14 days before the effective date. Continued engagement with Orange Labs after the effective date of an amendment constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
All previous versions of this policy are archived and available on written request. The most current version is always the governing version.