Employee Exercise Programs

Make ESOP exercises simple for both employees and finance teams​

Granting ESOPs is only the first step. For employees to truly benefit, they must be able to exercise their options with confidence, ease, and clarity. Qapita enables a seamless, fully digital experience from eligibility and approvals to payment and compliance, so employees can convert equity into ownership when it matters most.​
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Benefit of Qapita employee exercise programs​

Give employees clarity, confidence, and control​

Help employees clearly understand what they can exercise, when they can exercise, and what it’s worth. Qapita removes uncertainty from ESOP exercises by giving employees a transparent, guided experience, so they can make informed decisions about exercising their stock options without confusion or guesswork.​

Reduce finance and legal overhead​

Automate ESOP exercise workflows that typically involve multiple teams, spreadsheets, and approvals. Qapita centralizes calculations, approvals, payments, and records, helping finance teams reduce manual effort, minimize errors, and stay audit-ready as employee exercises scale.​

Ensure structured, compliant ESOP execution​

Execute employee stock option exercises in a way that aligns with company policies, shareholder approvals, and regulatory requirements. Qapita ensures every exercise follows defined rules and approvals reducing operational risk while maintaining cap table accuracy and governance integrity.​

How Qapita manages employee exercise programs ​

Digitally Enable Option Exercises

From intent to ownership. All in one workflow​

Employees can view their eligible grants, choose how many options to exercise, and submit requests through a guided portal. Qapita handles exercise window logic, vesting validations, and HR/legal approvals, reducing manual tracking and coordination.​
Flexible Exercise Window Configuration

Control who can Exercise, when, and how much​

Configure exercise windows based on roles, grant types, tenure, or exit events. Set minimum/maximum thresholds, control liquidity-based access, and automate participant-specific rules. You can open rolling windows (annually, quarterly, monthly, etc) for all or select employees or create limited-period offers your ESOPs, your strategy.​
UPI & Net Banking Payment Gateway

Real time, digital payments built for India​

Let employees pay for exercised options instantly using UPI or Net Banking. Qapita integrates with secure payment gateways, auto-collects exercise amounts, and links payment receipts to cap table updates and tax workflows, eliminating delays and manual errors.​
Built-In Tax and TDS Handling

Stay compliant. Keep it simple.​

From per-employee tax computation to automatic TDS deduction and F&F integration, Qapita ensures every exercise is tax-compliant under Indian laws. Employees see net impact & exercise letter, and finance teams get pre-filled reports for payroll. Unique with Qapita is the compensation-based tax brackets a game-changer to prevent back and forth on tax mismatches.​
Board and Admin Approval Workflows

Governance built-In at every step​

Sign SPA, Exercise Letters, and compliance documents on the fly. Enable controlled processing with maker-checker flows, document uploads, and automated notifications. Approvers get a dashboard view of all pending exercises, documents, and approvals keeping you compliant without bottlenecks.​
KYC Collection and Verification

Ensure compliance before equity converts​

Qapita enables companies to collect, verify, and store KYC documents as part of the exercise workflow. Employees are prompted to upload PAN, Aadhaar, bank proof, and other relevant documents during the exercise process. With automated checks, manual validation tools, and secure storage, you meet regulatory obligations while maintaining a smooth employee experience, all without email trails or offline follow-ups​
Testimonials

Words from our valued customers

User-friendly interface with simple User-friendly interface with simple operation. Various reports are very helpful.
The option exercise process is highly simplified. Users can view their tax liabilities with a single click, and all records are conveniently consolidated in one place.
Rahul H.
Manager
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)

They have helped us effectively manage our ESOPs all digitally as well as organize our Captable. user interface is great.
Ankur Sharma
Chief Financial Officer
We entrusted ESOP Direct with our complete Plan administration. Scheme is being handled by highly experienced people.
Mona Cherian
President and Group Head Human Resources, Thomas Cook
“Qapita has helped us in drastically improving our employee engagement on our Employee equity front. Equity payslips and valuation slider are really useful
Prashant Kumar
Co‑founder, Zingbus
The simple process and the functions are easy to work and use with.
We used to manage ESOPs manually - juggling spreadsheets, email trails, and legal documents. It was tedious and prone to errors. Qapita has centralized the entire process, making it faster, more accurate, and far easier to manage. Reporting is smoother, compliance is stress-free, and our employees now have a much clearer understanding of their equity which has boosted engagement significantly.
Ritika K.
People and Culture Manager,
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp)
Efficient system for recording ESOPs
Qapita helps efficiently record our ESOP grant details (including grant letters to employees), allows employees to exercise the options, and allows us to pull the necessary reports for compliance purposes
Sharuk V.
Head of Compensation; Benefits
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Qapita Works With Companies Across the Globe From Seed Stage to Listing and Beyond

Make Exercising Options Effortless for Everyone

Simplify the process for employees and streamline operations for your finance team.
Testimonial

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Metrics

Helping You Elevate Your Equity Management

Private Companies
2700+
Listed Companies
180+
Employee Equity Under Management
US $28bn+
Equity Under Management
US $185bn+
Employee Owners Engaged
500,000
Equity Plans Designed
1400+
Other Offerings

Your Equity Journey Doesn't End Here

Employee Liquidity Programs

Enable structured liquidity events through buybacks and surrender programs, empowering employees without waiting for an IPO.

ESOP Tax Guides

Simplify the entire tax journey, educating employees and streamlining finance team execution across all equity events.

ESOP Benchmarking

Design competitive, market-aligned equity plans backed by real data, peer trends, and stage-specific norms.
Integrations

Our Integrations

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FAQs

Frequently asked questions

What is an employee exercise program for stock options?​

An employee exercise program is a structured process that allows employees who have equity in the company (such as ESOPs) to convert stock options into actual shares by paying the exercise price. This process typically follows vesting and compliance rules set by your employer and applicable Indian regulations.

How does Qapita’s employee exercise solution simplify stock option exercise in India?​

Qapita’s Employee Exercise Program automates the entire process, from eligibility checks, approvals, digital payments through UPI or net banking, to compliance and tax handling, providing a fully digital, compliant experience tailored for Indian startups and private companies.

What is the difference between granting ESOPs and exercising them?

A grant gives you the right to buy shares (subject to vesting). Exercising is the action of paying the exercise price to convert those options into actual shares of the company, which you can hold or sell later when liquidity is available.

What payments methods are supported by Qapita for exercising options?​

Qapita supports Indian payment methods, including UPI and net banking, allowing employees to pay securely and instantly within the platform.

What taxes and deductions are handled by Qapita during exercise?

Qapita’s employee exercise workflow includes built-in tax calculation and automatic TDS treatment, helping ensure compliance with Indian tax laws and providing clear visibility of liabilities for employees and finance teams.

Can employees see their tax impact before exercising options?​

Yes. With Qapita, employees can view estimated tax liabilities (including TDS) in advance, helping them make informed exercise decisions before initiating the payment.

What is an exercise window and how does Qapita manage it?

An exercise window defines when and how many options an employee can exercise. Qapita allows companies to configure schedule-based, event-based, or role-based exercise windows, automating validations and eligibility checks.

What happens if my company is still private, can I still exercise my options?​

Yes. Employees of private companies can exercise vested options; however, liquidity (selling shares) depends on the company’s policies, secondary markets, or internal buyback programs. Qapita supports the exercise process regardless of your company’s listing status.

What should employees consider before exercising their stock options?​

Key factors include vesting status, exercise price vs. current valuation, tax impact, and personal financial planning. It’s advisable to consult a tax advisor or financial planner before deciding.

How do I get started with Qapita’s employee exercise solution?​

You can request a demo or contact Qapita’s team through the Qapita website to evaluate your current ESOP setup, define your exercise rules, and begin implementation.​

Transform Equity into Ownership Seamlessly

Digitize the entire exercise process, ensuring confidence and full compliance.