REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY
DIGITAL STARTUP INDIA
REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY
Last Updated: 30 August 2026
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This Refund & Cancellation Policy ("Policy") explains the rules applicable to payments, cancellations, refunds, credits and service changes for paid products and services offered by Digital Startup India ("DSI", "we", "us", "our"), through https://digitalstartupindia.com and related digital services.
This Policy applies to paid services such as paid listings, featured business/startup profiles, sponsored or promotional publications, advertising, event registrations, memberships, subscriptions, digital publications, lead-generation or visibility packages, consulting or other paid services that DSI may introduce from time to time.
Different services may have service-specific refund terms displayed at checkout or in the relevant order confirmation. Where a service-specific term expressly applies, that term will govern to the extent permitted by applicable law.
2. IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE
DSI aims to provide clear pricing, service descriptions and cancellation/refund terms before payment. Nothing in this Policy is intended to exclude or restrict any consumer right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable Indian law.
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 apply to goods and services bought or sold over digital or electronic networks, subject to their scope and applicability. DSI will comply with applicable consumer-protection requirements. ?cite?turn0search24?
3. DEFINITIONS
"Customer" means the person or organisation purchasing a paid DSI service.
"Order" means a confirmed purchase or booking for a DSI service.
"Service Start" means the point at which DSI begins material work, publication, activation, booking, fulfilment or delivery of the purchased service.
"Digital Service" means a service delivered electronically or through access to the Platform.
"Business Day" means a day other than a Sunday or public holiday in India, unless otherwise stated.
4. BEFORE MAKING A PAYMENT
Customers should review the service description, inclusions, exclusions, price, taxes, validity period, delivery/activation timeline and cancellation/refund conditions before placing an Order.
Customers are responsible for ensuring that submitted business information, contact details, creative material, photographs, logos, documents and other inputs are accurate and lawful.
DSI may require clarification or supporting material before commencing a service.
5. ORDER CONFIRMATION
An online payment does not by itself guarantee acceptance where DSI has expressly stated that an Order is subject to review, availability, verification or approval.
Where an Order is accepted, DSI may send an order confirmation by email, dashboard notification, WhatsApp/SMS or other available communication channel.
If DSI cannot provide a paid service after accepting payment, DSI will generally offer a suitable alternative, credit or refund, subject to the circumstances and applicable law.
6. GENERAL CANCELLATION RULE
Cancellation eligibility depends on the nature and stage of the service.
Services that have not yet started may generally be cancelled by contacting DSI promptly, subject to any service-specific terms.
Once a service has been materially commenced, customised, published, scheduled, delivered or consumed, cancellation may not result in a full refund.
Where a service is partly completed, DSI may determine the refundable amount by considering the work already performed and non-recoverable third-party costs, subject to applicable law.
7. DIGITAL SERVICES
For downloadable, electronically delivered or immediately accessible digital services, cancellation/refund rights may be limited after delivery, access or commencement where permitted by applicable law and the service terms disclosed before purchase.
If a digital product is materially defective, inaccessible or substantially different from the description, customers should contact DSI promptly so that the issue can be investigated and an appropriate remedy considered.
8. BUSINESS / STARTUP LISTING SERVICES
Paid business, startup or professional listings may include profile creation, verification, publication, featured placement, visibility or promotional duration.
Once a listing has been created, reviewed, published or materially configured, the service may be treated as commenced.
Customers may request cancellation before publication. After publication or commencement, refunds may be unavailable or may be reduced based on work completed.
If DSI rejects a listing for legal, editorial, verification, policy or quality reasons after payment, DSI may offer correction, an alternative service or refund as appropriate.
9. FEATURED LISTINGS AND PROMOTIONAL PACKAGES
Featured placement, sponsored visibility, homepage placement, newsletter placement, promotional campaigns and similar services are generally time-bound services.
Once placement or campaign delivery has started, fees are generally non-refundable except where DSI is unable to deliver the purchased service or applicable law requires otherwise.
Temporary traffic fluctuations, search-engine rankings, lead volumes, impressions, engagement, conversions or sales are not guaranteed unless expressly stated in writing.
10. ARTICLES, STARTUP STORIES AND SUCCESS STORIES
Where customers purchase publication, editorial or promotional content services, cancellation is generally permitted only before material work has commenced.
After drafting, editing, designing, scheduling or publication has commenced, the amount refundable, if any, may be reduced according to work completed.
Publication does not guarantee media coverage, search-engine ranking, investment, funding, sales, leads, backlinks, social-media reach or any particular commercial outcome.
11. ADVERTISING SERVICES
Advertising bookings may have specific campaign dates, placements, impressions, creatives or deliverables.
Cancellation requests should be made before campaign launch.
After campaign launch, advertising charges are generally non-refundable for the delivered portion. If DSI fails to deliver a material part of the agreed campaign, DSI may provide make-good inventory, extension, credit or proportional refund as appropriate.
Customer-supplied advertising material must comply with applicable law and DSI's advertising/content policies.
12. EVENT REGISTRATION
Event cancellation and refund terms may vary according to the particular event and may be stated on the event registration page.
If no event-specific policy is displayed, cancellation requests received sufficiently before the event may be considered for refund after deduction of non-recoverable processing or event costs, subject to applicable law.
No-show by a registered participant does not automatically create a refund entitlement unless the event terms state otherwise.
If DSI cancels an event, DSI will ordinarily offer rescheduling, transfer or refund options appropriate to the circumstances.
13. MEMBERSHIPS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
If DSI introduces recurring memberships or subscriptions, the checkout page will state the billing frequency, renewal terms and applicable cancellation conditions.
Customers may cancel future renewals through the available account mechanism or by contacting DSI.
Cancellation of a subscription generally prevents future billing but does not automatically create a refund for a period already used, except where required by applicable law or the service-specific terms.
Where a subscription has a minimum commitment, that commitment will be disclosed before purchase.
14. SERVICES INVOLVING CUSTOM WORK
For customised services, including profile design, content creation, campaign development, research, consulting or other work prepared specifically for a customer, refund eligibility may be reduced once work has begun.
Customers should provide complete and accurate requirements at the beginning of the engagement. Delays caused by missing approvals, information or materials may not constitute failure by DSI to deliver.
15. CUSTOMER-REQUESTED CHANGES
Reasonable corrections to customer-supplied factual information may be handled according to the purchased service.
Material changes to scope, creative direction, target audience, content, design or deliverables after work has begun may be treated as a new request and may involve additional charges.
Where a customer requests a change that makes the original service impossible or materially different, DSI may provide a revised quotation.
16. REFUNDS FOR DUPLICATE OR ACCIDENTAL PAYMENTS
If a customer accidentally makes a duplicate payment for the same Order, the customer should contact DSI promptly with transaction details.
After verification, a duplicate payment may generally be refunded to the original payment method, subject to payment-gateway procedures and applicable deductions that are lawfully applicable.
17. FAILED, REVERSED OR UNSUCCESSFUL PAYMENTS
If an amount is debited but DSI does not receive confirmation of payment, the customer should contact DSI with the transaction/reference number.
Where the payment gateway or bank reverses the transaction, the amount may be returned automatically by the relevant payment provider.
DSI is not responsible for delays caused solely by banks, card networks, UPI providers or payment gateways, but will reasonably assist in resolving verified payment issues.
18. REFUND PROCESS
Eligible refund requests should be sent to contact@digitalstartupindia.com with:
• Customer name and registered email;
• Order/service name;
• Order or invoice number;
• Payment date;
• Transaction/reference number;
• Reason for the request;
• Supporting information, where relevant.
DSI may request reasonable information to verify the request and prevent fraud.
19. REFUND APPROVAL
Refund eligibility will be assessed against the applicable service terms, the stage of service delivery, the reason for cancellation, payment status and applicable law.
Approval of a refund does not necessarily mean that the full amount paid will be refunded where part of the service has already been delivered or where lawful non-refundable charges apply.
20. REFUND METHOD
Where practicable, approved refunds will normally be processed to the original payment method.
Alternative methods may be used where the original payment method is unavailable or where the customer and DSI agree to another lawful method.
Bank, payment-gateway or settlement timelines may affect the time taken for the refund to appear in the customer's account.
21. REFUND TIMELINE
Once a refund is approved and the necessary verification is complete, DSI will initiate the refund within a reasonable period and in accordance with applicable law and payment-provider processes.
The time actually taken for the amount to appear may depend on the bank, card network, UPI provider or payment gateway.
22. TAXES AND REFUNDS
Where a refund is approved, the treatment of GST or other taxes will depend on the applicable tax rules, invoice status and nature of the transaction.
Where a tax component cannot legally be refunded or adjusted by DSI, the applicable amount may be excluded from the refund.
23. NON-REFUNDABLE SITUATIONS
Subject to mandatory consumer rights, refunds may generally not be available where:
• The customer changes their mind after a service has been materially completed or consumed;
• A customised service has already been materially performed;
• A publication or listing has already been published;
• A campaign has already run for the relevant period;
• An event has already taken place and the participant did not attend;
• The customer supplied materially inaccurate or unlawful information causing rejection or delay;
• The customer violates DSI's Terms, Community Guidelines or applicable law;
• The requested refund relates only to expected business results that were never guaranteed;
• The customer fails to provide required information or approvals after reasonable requests.
24. WHEN DSI MAY CANCEL AN ORDER
DSI may cancel or suspend an Order where reasonably necessary because of:
• Suspected fraud or payment abuse;
• Illegal or prohibited content;
• Intellectual-property concerns;
• Misleading business claims;
• Security concerns;
• Violation of Community Guidelines or Terms & Conditions;
• Unavailability of the purchased service;
• Failure to provide required verification or materials;
• Technical or operational reasons.
Where DSI cancels a paid Order for reasons attributable to DSI and the service has not been delivered, DSI will generally offer a refund, credit or alternative remedy as appropriate and subject to applicable law.
25. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES AND FEES
Some DSI services may involve third-party providers such as payment gateways, event platforms, advertising networks, hosting providers or external service providers.
Where a third party imposes a lawful non-refundable fee that was clearly disclosed before purchase, that fee may be deducted from an otherwise eligible refund, subject to applicable law.
26. PROMOTIONAL OFFERS, COUPONS AND CREDITS
Promotional offers, coupons and credits may have separate validity periods and conditions.
Unless expressly stated, promotional credits are not exchangeable for cash and may not be refundable.
If an Order purchased using a promotional discount is refunded, the refund may be calculated on the amount actually paid rather than the undiscounted price, subject to applicable law.
27. SERVICE CREDITS
Where appropriate, DSI may offer a service credit instead of a monetary refund, particularly where the issue can be resolved through additional publication time, replacement placement, correction, re-delivery or another equivalent service.
A service credit will be issued only with the customer's agreement where a monetary refund is legally required.
28. CHARGEBACKS AND PAYMENT DISPUTES
Customers are encouraged to contact DSI first so that billing issues can be investigated and resolved promptly.
Where a customer initiates a chargeback or payment dispute, DSI may provide the payment processor or relevant institution with transaction and service-delivery records necessary to respond to the dispute, subject to applicable law and privacy requirements.
29. FRAUDULENT REFUND CLAIMS
DSI may investigate suspected fraudulent, abusive or repeated refund claims.
Examples include false claims that a service was not delivered, unauthorised use of another person's payment method, manipulation of order records or repeated abuse of promotional offers.
DSI may suspend accounts or services where reasonably necessary to prevent fraud or protect users and the Platform.
30. CONSUMER RIGHTS
Nothing in this Policy is intended to take away rights or remedies that a consumer has under mandatory applicable law.
Indian consumer-protection law recognises consumer rights including the right to be informed and protection against unfair trade practices. ?cite?turn0search2?turn0search0?
31. PRIVACY AND REFUND REQUESTS
Information submitted in connection with payments, cancellations, refunds and disputes may be processed for verification, customer support, accounting, fraud prevention, legal compliance and refund administration.
Such processing is subject to DSI's Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and applicable rules/provisions as they become operative. ?cite?turn0search26?turn0search9?
32. DISPUTES AND GRIEVANCES
If you have a concern about a payment, cancellation or refund, please contact DSI first so that the matter can be reviewed.
Refund or consumer grievances may also be subject to statutory remedies available under applicable Indian law.
33. CONTACT DETAILS
Digital Startup India
Email: contact@digitalstartupindia.com
Head Office: New Delhi, India
Website: https://digitalstartupindia.com
Working Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10:00 AM–7:00 PM IST
34. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
DSI may update this Policy to reflect changes in its services, payment systems, business model, technology or applicable law.
The latest version will be published on the Platform with the updated "Last Updated" date.
35. GOVERNING LAW
This Policy is governed by the laws of India, subject to mandatory consumer rights and other applicable statutory protections.
36. QUICK REFUND REQUEST FORMAT
Subject: Refund / Cancellation Request – Digital Startup India
Name:
Registered Email:
Mobile Number:
Order/Invoice No.:
Service Purchased:
Payment Date:
Transaction ID:
Amount Paid:
Reason for Cancellation/Refund:
Supporting Documents, if any:
Customers should retain payment confirmations, invoices and relevant communications until the matter is resolved.
37. WEBSITE IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE
Before publishing this Policy, DSI should ensure that the checkout/payment pages actually display the price, taxes where applicable, service scope, billing frequency, renewal terms, cancellation window and any service-specific refund restrictions before payment.
DSI should not describe a service as "non-refundable" where mandatory law provides a contrary consumer remedy.
Any service-specific exception should be clearly shown at the point of purchase and, where appropriate, in the order confirmation.
Disclaimer :“Digital Startup India is an independent private platform and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or operated by the Government of India, DPIIT or the official Startup India initiative.”