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India company establishment and operations guide

After incorporation: the steps ahead

Understand what to do, when to act and which documents to prepare.
Follow incorporation and ongoing obligations in one connected guide.

Explore the process
PHASE 01PreparationPlanning, documents and application
PHASE 02IncorporationCheck the Certificate of Incorporation
PHASE 03After incorporationFunding, filings and commencement
PHASE 04Ongoing complianceAccounts, tax and renewals

Scope of this guide This guide assumes an Indian Private Limited Company with investment from a Japanese company or other investors. Branch offices, liaison offices and LLPs follow different procedures. Timing, documents and obligations vary by ownership, sector, state and other factors.

Incorporation is the start of the next steps

Post-incorporation steps and documents

Track incorporation-based deadlines separately from those triggered by receipts, share issues and declarations.

Step and approachKey documentsTiming and deadline
01

First Board Meeting

Address banking, the first auditor, internal authorities and director disclosures at the first Board meeting.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: Board of directors and CS

Subsequent meeting frequency may be subject to company-category exemptions.

Key documents
  • Notice and agenda
  • Board minutes and resolutions
  • Relevant MBP-1 and DIR-8 information
Generally within 30 days of incorporationCheck applicability and the current form
02

First auditor

Check auditor eligibility and independence, obtain consent and document the appointment.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: Board, CA and CS

Distinguish the first auditor from an auditor appointed at an AGM. The CS should confirm whether ADT-1 applies and must be filed.

Key documents
  • Consent and eligibility certificate
  • Appointment letter
  • Board resolution
Board appointment generally within 30 daysCheck applicability and the current form
03

Registered office / INC-22

Arrange lawful occupancy, address evidence and company signage. Check whether INC-22 or another filing is needed based on what was declared at incorporation.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: Company lead and CS

An additional filing may not be required where the registered-office address was already verified and declared at incorporation.

Key documents
  • Lease and owner consent
  • Utility evidence
  • Office and signage photographs
  • Address verification documents
Establish the office generally within 30 daysCheck applicability and the current form
04

Bank account / AD Bank

Complete bank KYC and reconcile the subscriber name, remittance purpose and recipient account. Agree foreign-investment procedures with the Authorised Dealer (AD) bank in advance.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: Company lead and AD bank

Requirements vary by bank. Equity investment and intercompany loans follow different procedures.

Key documents
  • COI, MoA, AoA and PAN
  • Account-opening resolution and signing authority
  • Director and shareholder KYC
  • Bank-specific application forms
Start promptly after incorporation, in parallelCheck applicability and the current form
05

Subscription / share issue

Organise receipt evidence, investor identification, the register of members and necessary resolutions. Confirm issue or refund deadlines for the relevant foreign-investment transaction.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: Company lead, AD bank and CS

Do not treat 60 days after incorporation as a universal payment deadline. Confirm receipt-based FEMA timelines separately from Companies Act deadlines.

Key documents
  • Bank statement and remittance evidence
  • Remitter KYC
  • Shareholder and allottee list
  • Applicable resolutions and valuation evidence
Manage initial subscriptions separately from later issuesCheck applicability and the current form
06

Share certificate / stamp duty / demat

Confirm certificate or dematerialisation procedures, stamp duty, the register of members and issue records.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: CS, company lead and Depository Participant (DP)

Certificates for subsequent allotments are generally due within two months of allotment. Confirm dematerialisation applicability and the relevant stamp-duty procedure.

Key documents
  • Share certificates and register of members
  • Issue or allotment resolutions
  • Stamp-duty calculations and payment evidence
  • Depository Participant documents, where applicable
Initial subscriber certificates: generally within two months of incorporationCheck applicability and the current form
07

FIRMS / FC-GPR

Arrange FIRMS user registration and the required foreign-investment reporting through the AD bank.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: AD bank, CS and company lead

The general trigger is share issuance, not receipt of funds. Confirm the transaction category and current RBI rules.

Key documents
  • FIRC or other receipt evidence and KYC
  • Issue resolution and MoA
  • CS certificate and declarations
  • Valuation evidence where applicable
Generally within 30 days of the relevant share issueCheck applicability and the current form
08

Return of allotment / PAS-3

Check Companies Act allotment reporting separately from foreign-exchange reporting. Approval and filing requirements vary by issue method, including private placements.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: CS and Board of directors

Do not apply one 30-day deadline to every allotment. Distinguish subscriptions on incorporation from subsequent issues.

Key documents
  • Allottee list and Board resolution
  • Shareholder approval where applicable
  • Valuation and payment evidence
  • Private-placement records where applicable
Confirm the deadline for the issue methodCheck applicability and the current form
09

Beneficial interest / SBO

Where registered ownership differs from beneficial interest, or Significant Beneficial Owner (SBO) criteria apply, organise the appropriate declarations and company filings.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: Shareholders, beneficial owners and CS

The MGT and BEN requirements are separate regimes. Applicability cannot be decided solely from wholly owned subsidiary status or the existence of a trust.

Key documents
  • MGT-4: registered holder declaration
  • MGT-5: beneficial owner declaration
  • MGT-6: company filing
  • BEN-1, BEN-2 and BEN-3 where SBO rules apply
Track the relevant declaration receipt or change dateCheck applicability and the current form
10

GST / IEC / EPFO / ESIC

Determine registrations and permits from turnover, transactions, staffing, location, imports/exports and any factory operations.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: CA, employment specialist and licensing adviser

GST, PF and ESI contributions or nil returns are not universal obligations. Distinguish registration numbers from actual compliance requirements.

Key documents
  • PAN and premises evidence
  • Bank details and transaction description
  • Staffing and payroll information
  • Sector- and state-specific application documents
In parallel, according to applicability and operating plansCheck applicability and the current form
11

Declaration of commencement / INC-20A

Confirm payment of subscribed capital and registered-office requirements, then file the commencement declaration. Check the conditions that must be met before starting business or borrowing.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: Director and practising CS, CA or CMA

This is not a general trading-licence issuance process. Companies in scope face restrictions on starting business and borrowing before filing.

Key documents
  • Bank evidence of subscription payment
  • CIN and director DSC
  • Attachments required by the current form
  • Professional certification and photographs where required
Within 180 days of incorporation for companies in scopeCheck applicability and the current form
12

Operational readiness

Assign responsibility for accounting, payroll, invoicing, Board meetings, tax and foreign-exchange reporting, then hand over to ongoing compliance management.

Responsibility and practical notes

Main responsibility: Company lead and relevant specialists

Factories and regulated businesses may still require operational, environmental, fire-safety and other approvals after incorporation.

Key documents
  • Permit list and renewal schedule
  • Accounting and payroll procedures
  • Filed returns and certificates
  • Responsibility and deadline register
After applicable permits and commencement requirements are metCheck applicability and the current form

Practical coordination for your situation

Discuss your India company setup

Tell us about your proposed business and current preparations. We can help organise the points to confirm and explain practical next steps, including professional liaison and document preparation.

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Using this guide

This guide provides general information to explain the process. It is not legal, tax or investment advice and does not determine filing eligibility. Indo Japan Support assists with professional liaison, document preparation and practical coordination. Qualified professionals should confirm individual requirements, certifications and filings.

Updated: 4 November 2026. Confirm applicability and current deadlines with a qualified Indian professional.

Official reference sources