General Power of Attorney

A General Power of Attorney (GPA) is one of the most powerful legal instruments available to a property owner in India. It authorises a named individual — the attorney — to act on the grantor's behalf across a wide range of financial, legal, and property-related matters. Understanding exactly what a GPA covers, and what it does not, is essential before signing one.

The specimen text below is a standard-form GPA used in Indian property transactions. It is reproduced here for reference only. Always engage a qualified solicitor or advocate before executing any power of attorney document.

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I ____________________, Indian Inhabitant, residing at______________________________________,

WHEREAS I am going to be out of ___________ for a long time and wish to appoint a fit and proper person to look after my affairs in my absence.

AND WHEREAS ________________________________ (name) knows all my affairs and is capable of handling them. I therefore desire to appoint ______________________________________ to act as my Attorney.

AND WHEREAS _____________ has consented to act as my Attorney (hereinafter referred to as the said Attorney).

NOW KNOW YE AND THESE PRESENTS WITNESS that I, the above-named ______________________, do hereby appoint, nominate and constitute _________________ and _______________________, residing at ___________________________________________________, to be my true and lawful Attorney, jointly or severally in my name and on my behalf, and to do and execute all or any of the following acts, deeds, and things:

1. To apply for and obtain various permissions under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973, and any other Central or State Act, and to complete all formalities required for obtaining such permissions.
2. To communicate and give undertakings to the Reserve Bank of India or any other authority prescribed by law.
3. To enter into, make, sign, execute, deliver, acknowledge, and perform any contract or contracts, and any other writings required by the Reserve Bank of India under the Foreign Exchange Regulations Act.
4. To sign, verify, and file written statements, objections, memoranda of appeals, and applications of all kinds with any authority, including the Reserve Bank of India or any officer appointed under the Foreign Exchange Regulations Act.
5. From time to time, to purchase, take on lease or mortgage, or otherwise acquire and hold properties — movable or immovable — as may be thought necessary or expedient on my behalf.
6. To pay all necessary costs, taxes, outgoing charges, expenses, and dues in respect of any property purchased.
7. To apply for and obtain a No Objection Certificate under the relevant Co-operative Societies Act or from any other body in respect of an agreement for purchase or sale of property, and to do all acts, deeds, matters, and things necessary for obtaining such certificates.
8. To execute transfer instruments, conveyances, or other deeds in respect of property purchased or sold.
9. To deal and correspond with an electric supply company for installing a meter or transferring a meter installed in premises owned by me, and to sign any documents, affidavits, undertakings, or indemnities as may be required.
10. To collect dividends and discharge dividend warrants by issuing valid receipts in respect of shares and debentures belonging to me; to represent me before any authority or company for the purpose of taking delivery of shares, dividend warrants, and bonus shares; and to attend and vote as proxy at company meetings.
11. To open, operate, close, and transfer bank accounts; to sign and/or endorse cheques and other negotiable instruments, drafts, fixed-deposit receipts, and securities; and to sign transfer forms, dividend warrants, interest coupons, refund orders, and similar instruments.
12. To receive moneys due to me and sign receipts; to apply for shares, debentures, and rights in public limited companies; to dispose of them at prices the said Attorney considers proper; and to sign transfer deeds and other instruments on my behalf.
13. To invest any of my moneys in Government securities, Unit Trust, bonds, promissory notes, shares, debentures, postal schemes, mutual funds, rural development bonds, bank deposits, RBI schemes, or corporate bodies — singly or jointly with others — and from time to time to vary such investments, to deposit and withdraw funds from banks, and to collect interest and other amounts as they fall due.
14. To encash all investments made in my maiden name and to sign all applications, forms, and undertakings as may be required for renewing or encashing them, and to issue valid receipts.
15. To sell the flat, shop, land, plot, garage, parking space, office premises, or other property purchased in my name or jointly with others; to collect or receive the sale proceeds; and to issue receipts for such payments on my behalf.
16. To make and file returns under the Income-tax Act 1961, the Wealth-tax Act 1957, and the Gift Tax Act 1958, and to represent me before the concerned authorities including appellate bodies.
17. To examine, adjust, negotiate, and settle all accounts; and to compound for any debt due or owing by me.
18. To vote at meetings of any company, corporate body, co-operative society, or condominium of apartment owners, or any body including meetings called by contractors, builders, promoters, tenants, or members; and to appoint proxies in respect of any property, share, or debenture held by me.
19. To pay insurance premiums on my life policies or on my properties; to correspond with the concerned authority on all related matters; and to sign all forms, claims, and settlement documents.
20. To commence, institute, file, carry on, continue, prosecute, defend, answer, or oppose all actions, suits, writ petitions, and other legal proceedings; and to appear in any court of justice in any actions or proceedings instituted by or against me.
21. To appoint any advocate, solicitor, chartered accountant, pleader, or other legal or tax practitioner.
22. To apply for certified copies, inspection of, and to inspect judicial records.
23. To manage all my properties — movable and immovable — now owned by me or which I may possess in future; to improve them, lease them, collect all rents and profits, and take all lawful means for recovery of rents and management of these properties.
24. From time to time, to purchase, take on lease or mortgage, or otherwise acquire and hold movable and immovable properties as may be thought necessary or expedient on my behalf.
25. To claim, demand, sue for, enforce payment of, and receive all moneys, securities, debts, and legacies which I now possess or to which I am or may become entitled, and to give effectual receipts and discharges therefor.
26. To sell, convert, collect, get in, or otherwise administer any property — movable or immovable — vested in me alone or jointly with any other person; and to execute and sign any deeds and generally to do any acts which I could lawfully have done in any such capacity.
27. To sell any part of my property for consideration; to receive the price and grant receipts; and to execute, sign, and register transfer deeds and to admit execution before any Registrar or Sub-Registrar.
28. To let property belonging to me on such terms and conditions as the Attorney may think fit; to receive rents and issue receipts; to maintain the property and effect necessary repairs from the rents received; to pay all taxes legally payable; and to represent me before municipal corporations, land authorities, and any other relevant body.
29. To file suits for recovery of arrears of rent or recovery of loans; to defend suits filed against me pertaining to my properties and other assets; and to compromise such suits.
30. To sign, verify, and execute plaints, written statements, counter-claims, petitions, appeals, reviews, applications, affidavits, powers of attorney, and papers of every description required for any suit, action, appeal, or proceeding in any court of law or before any tribunal or authority.
31. To appear and act in all courts — civil, revenue, or criminal — and to represent my interest before any judge, magistrate, municipal corporation, police, revenue, taxation, port trust, customs authority, or any other quasi-governmental or public body.
32. To sell or purchase shares and/or securities held by me solely or jointly with others; to employ and pay brokers and other agents; and to receive purchase money and sign transfer deeds and other writings.
33. To transfer any mortgage now made or hereafter to be made in my favour — alone or jointly with others — for such consideration as the said Attorney shall think fit.
34. To sign, seal, execute, and deliver transfer forms and/or deeds of shares, dividend warrants, interest warrants, and receipts as occasion may require.
35. To accept notices or service of writs of summons or other legal process; and to appear and represent me in any court of justice and before any magistrate or judicial or quasi-judicial officer.
36. To declare and affirm all plaints, written statements, applications, petitions, execution applications, affidavits, and other necessary documents; and to appear before any judge, magistrate, or officer empowered to hear any suit or proceedings.
37. To receive all cables, telegrams, registered and unregistered letters and parcels, packages, goods, money orders, and other communications from the Post and Telegraph offices or from any other source, and to sign and pass receipts for the same.
38. To invest any of my moneys or assets at interest or otherwise in the mortgage of any freehold, leasehold, or other tenure; or in the hypothecation or pledge of movable properties, as the Attorney may in his absolute discretion think fit and proper.
39. To execute, become party to, and if necessary cause to be registered all instruments, deeds, agreements, contracts, receipts, and other documents on my behalf.
40. To insure all my properties for such purposes and in such manner as the Attorney may think proper.
41. For all or any of the purposes aforesaid, to execute such guarantees, indemnities, covenants, and obligations on my behalf as the Attorney may think necessary and proper.
42. For the purpose of managing my affairs, to enter into such arbitration references and to appoint such arbitrators as the Attorney may deem fit and proper.
43. To cause these presents to be registered in the books of any company, corporation, nationalised bank, the Reserve Bank of India, or in any public or government office, court, or elsewhere as occasion may require.
44. To concur in doing any of the acts and things hereinbefore mentioned in conjunction with any other person or persons interested in the premises.
45. For the better performance of the matters and things aforesaid, I do hereby grant unto my said Attorney full powers to substitute and appoint in my place one or more attorneys to exercise on my behalf all the powers and authorities hereby conferred, and to revoke any such appointment from time to time.

AND GENERALLY to do and execute all such deeds, instruments, acts, and things in relation to the properties and matters described above as fully and effectively as I myself could have done if personally present.

I FURTHER CONFIRM that the powers granted by me to the said Attorney are irrevocable and shall not be revoked by me. Any person relying upon this Power of Attorney shall be protected by the representations made herein. I shall not challenge or call in question any act done by the said Attorney individually, jointly, or severally, and the same shall be binding upon me.

I HEREBY AGREE that all acts, deeds, and things done by the said Attorney — whether jointly or severally — shall be construed as acts, deeds, and things done by me. I hereby undertake to ratify and confirm all and whatever each of the said Attorney shall do by virtue of the powers hereby given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I ________________________, hereunto set and subscribed my hand and signature at ______ this ____ day of _________, _____.

SIGNED AND DELIVERED by the within-named _________________________ in the presence of .................

EXPLAINED AND IDENTIFIED BY ME
____________________________
___________________________

Specimen signature of Attorney: ( ____________________ )

BEFORE ME

Key Considerations Before Granting a General Power of Attorney

A General Power of Attorney is an extraordinarily broad instrument. Before executing one, principals should be aware of several practical safeguards. First, consider granting a limited or specific Power of Attorney rather than a general one — this restricts the attorney's authority to a defined transaction (such as a single property sale) rather than your entire financial life. Second, include an explicit revocation clause and register the revocation with the same sub-registrar's office if and when you decide to cancel the GPA. Third, note that under Section 32 of the Registration Act 1908, a GPA used in property transactions in India should ordinarily be presented for registration to be fully enforceable against third parties.

NRIs and overseas buyers should pay particular attention to the authentication requirements: a GPA executed outside India must typically be notarised and then apostilled (or attested by the Indian embassy/consulate in the country of execution) before it can be used domestically. Rules and thresholds in this area are subject to periodic revision by the Reserve Bank of India and the Ministry of External Affairs. Figures and procedural requirements as of the original article year — verify current rules with a qualified Indian advocate before proceeding.

DISCLAIMER: These legal forms and documents are provided for reference only. Any agreement you enter into should be drafted and reviewed in consultation with a solicitor or an advocate. Holiday Home Times will not be responsible for any claim arising out of the use of any of the documents reproduced above.