The most fundamental principle of any progressive civilization is a law-abiding civilised society. A society in which all individuals are aware of their own rights and each citizen is aware of the laws that must be followed. A legally unified approach is required to realise our singular vision for civilizational reality and sustainable future progress.
In contrast, a large portion of the population is completely unaware of their basic rights and the precise law of the land to which they must adhere. An unorganised, disconnected, scattered, and divided society is an impediment to its own progress.
Recognizing this prevalent scenario, Dr Nilakshi Choudhury, Founder and Managing Director of Fourth Dimension Global as well as AmritBidya Ventures LLP – two sister concerns; with her team & associates have been leading the noble initiative of 24x7nyaya, through which these fragmented civilizational silos could be brought and bound together to create a united whole.
Stating her objective, “Through 24×7 Nyaya, we intend to create a one-stop solution for people, budding as well as leading businesses, corporates, start-ups, schools, colleges who face variety of legal issues or, are unaware of the best course to redressal.,” Nilakshi adds that 24×7 Nyaya can also be a portal solving legal interns’ employment issues.
Through 24×7 Nyaya, the platform has been able to cater to more than 60000 people on a pan-India basis through its plethora of 800+ lawyers. Nilakshi says, “We also have international lawyers with us and they have been catering to people living abroad.” The USP of 24×7 Nyaya is that it merges awareness, counselling, consultation & advisory all at one place to provide a one-stop solution.
The Legal Catalyst
Nilakshi is a professional with 24 years of work experience. She is a practising attorney at the Supreme Court of India, a qualified company secretary, and has done her Master’s in Business Administration in Finance and International Business. She has been awarded a Doctorate from the National American University in Corporate Governance. She specializes in Corporate Law and family law. She is also a member of the International Council of Jurist London and a Member of the American Bar Association.
Revealing her inspiration behind venturing into the legal profession, Nilakshi says, “Law is something which is required in every step of our life. I have seen many people suffering as they are naïve. Hence, we aim to serve the needy and help them with the best possible solution. Also, my great-grandfather was the first barrister from Assam. Though I am not following his legacy, as my father was into business, maybe that ran through our blood and made me choose this career.”
Before her independent practice, she was an in-house counsel. “I began my career 24 years back as a financial analyst for a US-based MNC and was gradually promoted to branch head within one year for achieving my targets,” she reveals. The company used to provide a platform for online trading in currencies bullions and commodities in Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and Chicago Mercantile Exchange. After that, she made a career move to the legal profession by joining Fox Mandal associates as a Law Associate. Later, she worked in firms like Vaish Associates Advocates and then joined as a Compliance Manager for Chevron oil corporation and Company Secretary for Caltex Gas India Pvt Ltd. Lastly, she worked as legal head for SAARC for a Spanish MNC, Abengoa, which was into railway electrification, transmission lines, solar, and telecom with 125000 employees globally.
She states, “My punctuality, dedication and commitment to deliver tasks before deadlines are some of the significant professional qualities and values greatly admired by our clients.”
A Lawyer Bringing People inside the Purview of Law
She says that people frequently believe that law is only required when there is some kind of dispute like a marital issue, property related issue, etc. “But in reality, we require law & legal documentation from the day we are born as a birth certificate – to – the day we die as a death certificate for succession and even claiming the dead body from the hospital. When we leave our house, whenever we deal with anybody including the third party, with vendors or clients, the law is always needed.” In other developed countries, people use the law to authenticate and avoid disputes when buying, selling, or renting property.
As a matter of precaution and awareness, keeping in mind that certain incidents & problems have increased rampantly in schools and educational institutes in recent times, 24×7 Nyaya has also organised school awareness seminars and provided low-bono advisory services to schools and institutes. The primary goal is to assist society in living a better & secured life.
Two-Edged Sword of Technology
Being an experienced leader, Nilakshi shares her opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like AI and ML impacts the legal industry and how 24×7 Nyaya is adapting to the change. Everything is currently digitalized. Modern technology has undoubtedly made life easier. Sitting in one place, one can conduct business in multiple locations; in other words, it has made the world smaller, but it has also created a lot of distraction in the young generation, who have become highly addicted to these technologies; as a result, human efforts for both body and mind have shrunk. The use of technology for necessary purposes is beneficial, but it has also resulted in an increase in crime, particularly cybercrime, to the point where there is no cure other than prevention.
Considering the current scenario, Nilakshi says that there are certain challenges they as a legal platform have to face and overcome. Following the pandemic and the increased demand for technology, there has been a survival of the fittest race. Not only us, but any industry, is facing very difficult challenges, from market sustenance to resource retention. Because the loyalty factor has vanished, proper contracting is now the most important factor. The only recourse is to bind the other party with a contract, in the absence of which there is all possibility of threat of encroachers and competitors waiting eagerly to steal your data and know-how at every step.
Social Legal Benefactor
In her advice to budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into legal space, Nilakshi says that there is a concept known as business responsibility that must be incorporated into any industry or organisation that one starts or runs. This means and aims to protect society and care for its members’ well-being besides keeping the profit motive in mind. Unless there is a social benefit offered to society or employees at large, no industry can survive for an extended period of time. “With this motto, we have ventured and are willing to associate with people who share our values.”
On envisioning scaling 24×7 Nyaya’s operations and offerings in the future, Nilakshi reveals that they have excelled so far, even during pandemics, by providing free legal advice to many people and then advising them on the best course of action to take. “We intend to gradually cover even the remote corners of India and various other countries. We are now receiving inquiries from neighbouring countries as well. So, hopefully, we’ll be able to cover the rest of the world soon,” she concludes.
