Reflections on the LegalTech Strategic Roundtable Report: Shaping India’s Next Decade

By Vaishali Gopal, Senior Advisor, Indian LegalTech Network (ILTN) 

One of the things I appreciated about moderating the LegalTech Strategic Roundtable was the opportunity to have people from different parts of the legal ecosystem engage in the same conversation. The room brought together perspectives from in-house legal teams, law firms, litigation practice, alternative legal service providers and LegalTech companies. There were people who use and purchase these products, alongside those who understand what it takes to build them.

These conversations often happen separately, or within the context of a vendor-customer relationship. The roundtable created space to discuss the challenges facing the sector more openly, without the discussion being centred on any particular product.

The report captures an important reality about the Indian LegalTech market. While there are common barriers to adoption, the requirements of different users are far from uniform. An in-house legal team, a law firm and an independent litigation practitioner may have very different priorities, workflows and budgets. Even where stakeholders agree on the broader challenges, their views on what needs to be addressed first may differ considerably. Taking the discussion forward will require more focused engagement between groups dealing with similar problems.

The report's findings on adoption and the difficulty of demonstrating value deserve particular attention. We often look to LegalTech companies to develop better products, improve accuracy, accommodate local requirements and make their offerings more affordable. These are reasonable expectations, but developing and supporting such products requires sustained investment.

Legal organisations need to be willing to pay fair value for products that solve meaningful problems. They must also be prepared to examine their own processes, allocate resources to implementation and create the conditions for people to change familiar ways of working. Technology companies, in turn, need to be more deliberate about whom they build for, how they balance localisation with scalability and how they support customers beyond the initial sale.

The report's discussion on ROI raises another question worth pursuing. Do buyers and builders agree on what value means? Time saved, improved quality, reduced risk and better access to legal information may matter differently across practice areas and organisations. Establishing these expectations early could make product evaluation more meaningful and give both sides a clearer basis for assessing success.

The three frameworks proposed in the report also highlight an important distinction. Some adoption challenges can be addressed through better engagement between buyers and product companies. Others, particularly those involving legal data, access and foundational infrastructure, require participation beyond individual commercial relationships. Understanding which problems need wider industry collaboration, and where stakeholders can act within their own organisations, could help direct efforts more effectively.

The report provides a useful starting point, with identified priorities and proposed frameworks that can be developed further. What will matter now is whether stakeholders are willing to commit the time, resources and ownership needed to take these ideas forward.

To read the full report, fill out this form and receive it directly in your inbox!