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Corporate & Commercial

Private Limited Company Registration

Incorporation of private limited companies under the Companies Act 2013, including drafting of constitutional documents and filings with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Overview

About this area of practice

A private limited company is a body corporate constituted under the Companies Act 2013, having a separate legal personality distinct from its shareholders and directors. It is the entity of choice for businesses intending to raise equity capital, establish credibility with institutional counterparties or issue employee stock options.

The minimum requirement is two shareholders and two directors, of whom at least one must be resident in India. The company is identified by a Corporate Identification Number (CIN) issued by the Registrar of Companies on incorporation.

LexWiser advises domestic and foreign promoters on incorporation, on the choice of company structure (private limited, OPC, LLP), and on related post-incorporation regulatory requirements including FEMA compliance for foreign investment.

Scope

Work typically involved

Engagements in this area generally involve some or all of the following work. The actual scope is set out in the engagement letter once the matter is understood.

01 Advising on the proposed structure, capital, shareholding pattern and directors of the company.
02 Reserving the proposed name with the Central Registration Centre through the RUN facility, or as part of the SPICe+ Part A filing.
03 Procuring Digital Signature Certificates (DSC) and Director Identification Numbers (DIN) for directors who do not already hold them.
04 Drafting the Memorandum of Association (MOA) and Articles of Association (AOA) tailored to the company's objects and governance requirements.
05 Preparing and filing the SPICe+ Part B form together with linked forms (AGILE-PRO, INC-9, INC-33, INC-34) with the Registrar of Companies.
06 Securing the Certificate of Incorporation, PAN and TAN from the Income Tax Department, and registration under the GST regime where applicable.
Approach

How an engagement proceeds

01

Consultation

Discussion of the proposed business, capital structure, directors and shareholding pattern. Advice on whether a private limited company is the appropriate structure.

02

Name reservation

Filing of name reservation through the RUN facility or SPICe+ Part A, complying with the naming rules under the Companies Act and Rule 8 of the Companies (Incorporation) Rules.

03

Documentation

Procurement of DSCs, preparation of MOA and AOA, and assembly of supporting documents from directors and shareholders (identity, address, photograph, declarations).

04

SPICe+ filing

Electronic filing of SPICe+ Part B and linked forms with the Registrar of Companies, accompanied by the requisite government fees and stamp duty.

05

Certificate of Incorporation

Issuance of the Certificate of Incorporation, PAN and TAN by the Registrar on satisfaction of statutory requirements.

Statutory note

The Registrar of Companies typically issues the Certificate of Incorporation within seven to twelve business days of filing, assuming complete documentation and no objection to the proposed name.

Considerations

Points to consider

Resident director requirement

At least one director must have stayed in India for not less than 182 days during the preceding financial year. This applies to all private limited companies including those with foreign promoters.

Authorised capital

There is no statutory minimum paid-up capital. The authorised capital is set by the promoters; government fees and stamp duty scale with the authorised capital.

Foreign investment

Inbound investment is permitted under the automatic route in most sectors. Filings under FEMA (Form FC-GPR) follow the issue of shares to non-resident shareholders.

Post-incorporation compliance

The company must hold its first board meeting within thirty days, appoint an auditor within thirty days, and obtain a commencement of business certificate (Form INC-20A) within 180 days.

Frequently Asked

About this matter

Can a foreign national be a director of an Indian private limited company? +

Yes. A foreign national may be appointed as a director, subject to the statutory requirement that at least one director on the board is resident in India.

What is the difference between a private limited company and an LLP? +

A private limited company is governed by the Companies Act 2013 and is the structure typically chosen by businesses intending to raise external equity. An LLP is governed by the LLP Act 2008 and is generally chosen for professional service firms or businesses where the partners do not contemplate external investment.

Is a registered office address required at the time of incorporation? +

A correspondence address is sufficient at the time of incorporation. A registered office must be intimated to the Registrar of Companies within thirty days of incorporation, supported by ownership or rental documents and a no-objection certificate where applicable.

What ongoing compliance does a private limited company have? +

Annual filings with the Registrar of Companies (Forms MGT-7 and AOC-4), holding of an annual general meeting, maintenance of statutory registers, statutory audit, and income tax filings. The practice can advise on or coordinate these on an ongoing basis.

Can the company name be changed later? +

Yes. A name change requires a special resolution of shareholders, approval from the Registrar of Companies and amendment of the Memorandum of Association.

Related Services

Matters often handled alongside this one

LLP Registration
Limited Liability Partnership under the LLP Act 2008.
Learn more →
One Person Company
OPC incorporation for sole promoters needing limited liability.
Learn more →
GST Registration
Registration under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act 2017.
Learn more →

Discuss this matter with counsel

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