An electronic signature is any way of signing a document electronically instead of on paper, such as clicking or typing your name to sign a PDF, or signing with an OTP. It is also called an e-signature or eSign. It replaced the courier that once carried contracts between offices for signing. Today, electronic signature platforms handle the whole agreement: preparing it, sending it, signing it, and storing and searching what was agreed.
How does a signing work? The sender uploads the document, marks where each person must sign, and enters each signer's email address or phone number. Each signer receives a link, opens the document and signs. The platform records every event with a time stamp: when the link was sent, opened and signed, and from which device and internet address. At the end, it seals the document so that any later change can be detected. It also adds a certificate of completion that lists these events. This record is called the audit trail. It is the evidence if anyone later denies signing.
Imagine a staffing company in Noida that hires 40 delivery supervisors in one week. Its HR team prepares one offer letter as a template. The platform fills in each person's name and salary, and sends 40 letters. By Friday, 37 people have signed on their phones. The platform reminds the other three. Without it, the company would print, courier and collect 40 letters.
In India, electronic signatures are recognised under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The Act names two strong forms. One is a digital signature certificate (DSC), issued to a person after their identity is checked. The other is Aadhaar eSign, in which a person signs with an OTP sent to the mobile number linked to their Aadhaar. A simple click-to-sign is often accepted for everyday business agreements, but it is weaker evidence in a dispute. Some documents cannot be signed electronically at all, such as a will or a trust deed.
Many agreements in India also need stamp duty, a state tax on agreements. E-stamping lets the company pay it online and attach the stamp certificate before signing. Quotes from configure, price, quote (CPQ) software and contracts from contract lifecycle management (CLM) software are sent for signing in the same way. The signed copy is filed in enterprise content management (ECM). Documents are often prepared in a PDF editor before they are sent.