India

100% foreign ownership under the automatic route in most sectors, but you need a resident director and strict FEMA reporting.

Last checked: Oct 2026 · Sources listed below

01 · What we can do here

What we can do here

Account help (opening soon)

Paid business-account opening help: account selection, draft application answers and a document checklist. You submit, complete your own ID and selfie checks, and sign.

MCA filings: a practising chartered accountant, company secretary or cost accountant (many forms need professional certification).
GST and income-tax representation: a GST practitioner (must be an Indian citizen) or authorized tax representative.
Incorporation and FEMA reporting: a qualified Indian firm.

02 · Incorporation basics

Incorporate through SPICe+ (INC-32) on the MCA V3 portal, with the electronic memorandum and articles and linked registrations for PAN, TAN, GST, EPFO, ESIC and a bank account. Typically 1 to 3 weeks including name approval.
A private company needs at least 2 directors, one of them resident in India (182 days or more in the previous calendar year). Directors need a DIN and a digital signature certificate.
At least 2 shareholders. A one-person company is only for resident Indian individuals.
Foreign directors' and subscribers' documents are usually apostilled or consularized.
No general minimum capital. The MCA filing fee is waived for authorized capital up to ₹15 lakh; state stamp duty applies.
After incorporation: commencement declaration (INC-20A) within 180 days, first auditor within 30 days, and FC-GPR reporting to the RBI within 30 days of allotting shares to foreign investors.

03 · Foreign ownership

Most sectors allow 100% foreign ownership under the automatic route.
Government approval or caps apply in sectors such as multi-brand retail (51%), print media (26%), some defense, broadcasting, insurance, banking and telecom.
Prohibited: lottery, gambling and betting, chit funds, nidhi companies, real estate business and farm houses, and tobacco manufacturing.
E-commerce: 100% automatic for the marketplace model; the inventory model is not permitted for foreign-funded entities.
Investors from countries sharing a land border with India need government approval (Press Note 3, 2020), with a limited automatic route for small non-controlling stakes since May 2026.

04 · Banking and fintech

FEMA 1999: current-account transactions are generally free; capital-account transactions follow RBI rules and go through authorized dealer banks.
Report foreign investment on FC-GPR within 30 days of allotment, and file the Annual Return on Foreign Liabilities and Assets by July 15 each year.
Dividends and sale proceeds are freely repatriable after tax for investment made under the rules.
Banks apply RBI KYC rules to the company, its 10%+ beneficial owners and signatories; video-based identification is permitted.
Collect payments through RBI-authorized payment aggregators or banks.

05 · Annual filings

AGM within 6 months of the March 31 year-end (by September 30).
Financial statements (AOC-4) within 30 days of the AGM; a statutory audit is mandatory for all companies.
Annual return (MGT-7/7A) within 60 days of the AGM. Annual director KYC.
Foreign liabilities and assets return to the RBI by July 15.
Income-tax return by October 31 (November 30 with transfer pricing). Advance tax in four installments.
GST returns monthly or quarterly, plus an annual return above the threshold.

06 · Tax basics

Published rates only. Not tax advice.

Domestic companies: optional 22% concessional regime (25.17% effective with surcharge and cess). Otherwise 25% or 30% plus surcharge and cess.
Foreign companies and branches: 35% plus surcharge and cess.
GST: 5%, 18% or 40% (most services 18%). Registration above ₹40 lakh for goods or ₹20 lakh for services, and compulsory in some cases. Foreign providers of online services to Indian consumers register with no threshold.
Withholding on royalties and technical-service fees paid to non-residents: 20% plus surcharge and cess, or the treaty rate.

07 · Disclosure rules

Home-page checklist (Companies (Incorporation) Rules 2014, rule 26): an Indian company's website must show on its home page the company name, registered office address, CIN, telephone, fax (if any), email, and the name of a person to contact for grievances or queries.
Companies Act s.12(3)(c): name, registered office address, CIN, phone, email and website on business letters, billheads, letter paper, notices and official publications. Penalty: ₹1,000 per day of default, up to ₹1 lakh.
India's data protection law (DPDP) core duties start May 13, 2027 and also reach foreign businesses serving people in India.

08 · Sources

General information only, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; check the official source before acting.