Terms of Engagement

Interpretation

In these Terms of Engagement, the following definitions apply:

• "Aikapatya" means Aikapatya Business Solutions, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
• "Client" means any individual, organisation, institution or entity that engages Aikapatya for services.
• "Engagement" means any formal consulting, advisory, innovation development or related service provided by Aikapatya to a Client.
• "Deliverables" means any reports, documents, frameworks, assessments, tools, recommendations or other outputs produced by Aikapatya as part of an Engagement.
• "Statement of Work" (SOW) or "Engagement Letter" means the specific written agreement issued by Aikapatya for a particular Engagement, setting out its scope, fees, timelines and specific terms.
• "Confidential Information" means any information disclosed by either party that is designated as confidential or that ought reasonably to be treated as confidential given its nature and the circumstances of disclosure.

Scope & Application

These Terms of Engagement apply to all engagements and interactions between Aikapatya and any Client or prospective Client, including:

• Social innovation partnerships and co-development arrangements
• Consulting and advisory engagements
• Innovation development support
• Portfolio briefings and preliminary discussions
• Any other professional service provided by Aikapatya

Where a specific SOW or Engagement Letter has been issued and signed by both parties, its terms will prevail over these general Terms in the event of any conflict. These Terms supplement — and do not replace — the specific terms of any signed engagement agreement.

Accessing this website or submitting an enquiry does not in itself constitute an engagement or create any contractual obligation on the part of Aikapatya.

Engagement Process

Aikapatya is selective about the engagements it accepts. Submitting an enquiry does not guarantee that an engagement will proceed. Our typical process is as follows:

1. Initial enquiry submitted via the contact form or direct communication
2. Acknowledgement of enquiry within 2 business days
3. Assessment of engagement fit and initial response within 5 business days
4. Preliminary discussion or briefing, where appropriate
5. Issuance of a Statement of Work or Engagement Letter, if we agree to proceed
6. Formal commencement of the engagement upon written acceptance of the SOW by both parties

No engagement commences, and no fees become payable, until a Statement of Work or Engagement Letter has been signed by both Aikapatya and the Client.

Services & Delivery

Aikapatya will perform all services with reasonable skill, care and diligence, drawing on the expertise and methodologies appropriate to the engagement.

The specific scope, deliverables, timelines and responsibilities of each engagement will be set out in the relevant SOW. Any changes to the agreed scope must be documented in a written amendment agreed by both parties before additional work is undertaken.

Timely delivery of Aikapatya's services is dependent on the Client's cooperation, including the provision of accurate information, timely feedback and reasonable access to relevant personnel and materials. Delays caused by the Client's failure to cooperate will not constitute a breach by Aikapatya and may affect agreed timelines accordingly.

Confidentiality

Both parties acknowledge that they may receive Confidential Information from the other in the course of an engagement. Each party agrees to:

• Hold the other party's Confidential Information in strict confidence
• Not disclose it to any third party without the other party's prior written consent
• Use it only for the purposes of the engagement
• Limit access to those within their organisation who have a genuine need to know

These obligations do not apply to information that: (a) is or becomes publicly available through no breach of this clause; (b) was already known to the receiving party prior to disclosure; (c) is independently developed without reference to the Confidential Information; or (d) is required to be disclosed by law or court order.

Confidentiality obligations survive the conclusion of an engagement for a period of 3 years, unless a longer period is specified in the relevant SOW.

Intellectual Property

Aikapatya retains all intellectual property rights in its pre-existing methodologies, frameworks, tools, processes and proprietary innovations — including the IDIOTS Model and any patented or patent-pending solutions.

Ownership of Deliverables produced specifically for a Client engagement will be as agreed in the relevant SOW. In the absence of a specific agreement:

• Deliverables are licensed to the Client for use within the scope of the engagement on a non-exclusive, non-transferable basis
• Aikapatya retains the underlying intellectual property in all Deliverables
• The Client may not sub-license, resell or otherwise make Deliverables available to third parties without Aikapatya's written consent

Where an engagement involves the co-development of a novel innovation, intellectual property ownership and revenue-sharing arrangements will be specifically negotiated and documented in the SOW prior to commencement.

Governing Law

These Terms of Engagement and any engagement to which they apply are governed by the laws of the Republic of India. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Bengaluru, Karnataka for the resolution of any dispute arising under or in connection with these Terms.

Before resorting to formal legal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute through direct negotiation. If negotiation fails, the parties will consider mediation as a preferred step before litigation.

Contact Us

For questions about these Terms of Engagement, to initiate an engagement discussion, or to raise any concern, please contact us: