Signing documents electronically in India: what counts as valid
, 6 min read
Signing a PDF by placing an image of your signature is normal practice for everyday agreements. Whether it is legally sufficient depends on the document.
Three different things
A signature image. A picture of your handwriting placed on the page. That is what Sign PDF and Signature Maker create. It shows intent and is widely accepted in business, but it carries no cryptographic proof of who signed.
An electronic signature under the IT Act. India's Information Technology Act, 2000 recognises electronic signatures, including Aadhaar based eSign, where a trusted provider ties the signature to your verified identity and stamps the time.
A digital signature certificate, or DSC. A certificate issued by a licensed certifying authority, usually on a USB token. Company filings with the MCA, income tax filings for companies, GST registration in many cases, and tenders on government portals typically require this.
Documents that need more than an image
Schedule I of the IT Act lists documents the Act does not apply to. In practice that means the following still need traditional execution, and often registration or stamping:
- Wills and testamentary dispositions
- Powers of attorney
- Trust deeds
- Negotiable instruments other than cheques
- Contracts for the sale or conveyance of immovable property
For anything in that list, speak to a lawyer rather than relying on a PDF signature. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Making a signature that looks right
Sign on plain white paper in black or dark blue ink, photograph it straight on in daylight, then use Signature Background Remover to drop the paper and keep only the ink. A transparent signature sits on the page cleanly instead of showing a grey rectangle.
Many contracts also want initials on every page and a date next to the signature. Add Initials to PDF applies them across a page range in one pass, and Add Date to PDF stamps the date in the format you choose.
Your signature is one of the few things worth being fussy about online. On this site it is drawn in your browser and embedded into your file on your own device, so it is never uploaded or stored.