Business Registration
Private Limited Company Registration
The structure investors expect, incorporated properly the first time.
A private limited company is the structure almost every funded business in India ends up using. It gives you limited liability, a clean share capital structure that investors can actually put money into, and a legal identity separate from the people who run it.
It also carries the heaviest annual compliance of the common structures. That is the trade-off worth understanding before you register: incorporation takes a fortnight, but the ROC filings, board meetings and audits continue every year for as long as the company exists.
Who needs this
- You intend to raise money from angel investors or a VC — almost none will invest in an LLP or proprietorship
- You want to issue ESOPs to employees later
- You have two or more co-founders and want the equity split recorded properly
- You are signing contracts where the counterparty wants to deal with a company, not an individual
- You want personal assets protected from business liabilities
Documents required
Photographs of documents are fine. Nothing needs printing, notarising or couriering to us.
For every director and shareholder
- PAN card (mandatory for Indian nationals)
- Aadhaar card
- Passport-size photograph
- One identity proof — voter ID, driving licence or passport
- One address proof — bank statement, electricity, telephone or mobile bill, not older than two months
- Mobile number and email address linked to Aadhaar, for DSC video verification
For the registered office
- Latest electricity or utility bill for the premises, not older than two months
- No-objection certificate from the property owner
- Rent agreement, if the premises are rented
If a director is a foreign national
- Passport, apostilled or notarised in the country of residence
- Address proof, apostilled or notarised, not older than two months
How the process runs
- Day 1
Documents and name check
We collect your documents and run a name availability search against the MCA register and the trademark database, so you are not rejected for a mark that already exists.
- Day 2
Digital signatures issued
DSC is issued for each proposed director through video verification. No physical visit is needed.
- Day 3–4
Name reserved
We file SPICe+ Part A with two name options. Approval usually comes within 48 hours.
- Day 5–6
Incorporation filed
SPICe+ Part B goes in with e-MOA (INC-33), e-AOA (INC-34) and AGILE-PRO-S. You receive the SRN the same day it is submitted.
- Day 7–10
Certificate issued
The Registrar issues the Certificate of Incorporation with your CIN. PAN, TAN and DIN come through the same filing.
What the fee covers
Included
- DSC for up to two directors
- DIN allotment for up to two directors
- Name reservation with two alternatives
- Drafting of MOA and AOA
- SPICe+ and AGILE-PRO-S filing
- PAN and TAN application
- Certificate of Incorporation
- A compliance calendar for your first year
Charged separately
- Government filing fees and state stamp duty — billed at cost with the receipt
- GST registration, if you need it (quoted separately)
- Trademark registration for your brand name
- Additional DSCs beyond two directors
Government charges are passed through at cost with the receipt attached to your invoice. We do not mark them up.
Key facts
| Minimum directors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Minimum shareholders | 2 (the same two people can be both) |
| Residency requirement | At least one director resident in India for 182 days or more |
| Minimum paid-up capital | None — the ₹1 lakh requirement was removed in 2015 |
| Governing law | Companies Act, 2013 |
| Primary form | SPICe+ (INC-32) |
| Annual compliance | AOC-4, MGT-7, board meetings, statutory audit, ITR |
Questions people ask
No. The ₹1 lakh minimum paid-up capital requirement was removed by the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2015. You can incorporate with any amount — many companies start with ₹10,000 authorised capital. Note that government filing fees do scale with authorised capital, so a very high figure costs more at incorporation for no benefit.
Yes. A residential address is perfectly acceptable as a registered office. You need the electricity bill for the premises and a no-objection certificate from whoever owns it — including from a parent or spouse if the property is in their name.
As soon as the Certificate of Incorporation and PAN are issued, usually within a day or two of each other. The AGILE-PRO-S form filed alongside SPICe+ also opens a bank account application, though most founders still prefer to approach a bank of their choice directly.
It adds roughly three days. We submit two alternatives in the same application to reduce the chance, and we check the trademark register first — the most common rejection reason is a name too close to an existing registered mark, which the MCA name-availability tool alone will not tell you.
Yes, but at least one director must have stayed in India for 182 days or more in the previous financial year. Documents for foreign directors must be apostilled or notarised in their country of residence, which typically adds a week.
Not sure this is the right filing for you?
Fifteen free minutes with the team. We will tell you which registration applies to your situation — and which ones you have been told you need but do not.
Statutory fees, thresholds and forms described on this page were accurate when last reviewed and are subject to change by the relevant authority. We confirm the current position before filing on your behalf. This page is general information, not advice on your specific situation.