India · Company Registration
Entity types, registration process, required documents, costs, and official registries.
AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.
Setting up from abroad
- Usual entity for foreign founders
- Pvt Ltd
- Non-resident can be sole director
- No
Official registry: indiacode.nic.in
The Companies Act requires at least one director who has spent 182 days or more in India during the financial year — a presence test, counted in days, not a nationality rule.
Companies are incorporated with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs under the Companies Act 2013, most often as a private limited company, through an integrated online form that also issues the tax registrations. Two rules shape a foreign-owned setup more than any other: every company must have at least one director who has stayed in India for a substantial part of the financial year, and investment from entities of countries sharing a land border with India runs under a separate approval regime — since March 2026, non-controlling stakes of up to 10% use the automatic route, while anything larger or conferring control still needs government approval.
- At least one director must have stayed in India for a substantial part of the financial year.
- Investment from land-border countries follows its own approval regime, revised in March 2026.
- Incorporation issues the company tax registrations in the same integrated filing.
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)
Incorporation and company filings.
Government portals
- National Portal of India — Directory of central and state government services and departments.
- Income Tax Department — PAN application, e-filing of returns, and residency rules for foreigners.
- GST Portal — GST registration, return filing and the taxpayer search.
- Indian Visa Online — The official e-Visa application, regular visa forms and application status.