How to register a Private Limited company in India
The full SPICe+ process - eligibility, documents, forms, fees, and what you get on approval.
Registering a Private Limited company in India is done almost entirely through the MCA's integrated SPICe+ (INC-32) web form.
Who you need
A private company needs a minimum of 2 directors (maximum 15) and at least one director who is resident in India (stayed 182+ days in the previous financial year). The resident-director rule is about residency, not citizenship - foreign nationals can be directors. Up to 3 directors can apply for a DIN within SPICe+ at incorporation.
The SPICe+ process
Part A reserves the company name. Part B handles incorporation plus DIN allotment and mandatory PAN, TAN, EPFO, ESIC, professional tax, and a company bank account, with GSTIN optional. Linked forms include eMOA (INC-33), eAOA (INC-34), AGILE-PRO-S (INC-35) and the INC-9 declaration. A practising professional must certify the form - this can be a Company Secretary, CA, CMA, or advocate (Section 7(1)(b) + Rule 14), not necessarily a CA.
Cost
The MCA filing fee is zero for authorised capital up to Rs 15 lakh. Stamp duty on the MOA/AOA varies by state and rises with authorised capital - SPICe+ auto-calculates it.
What you receive
On approval, a Certificate of Incorporation carrying the CIN, PAN and TAN, plus the registrations opted in AGILE-PRO-S.
Step by step
- 1Obtain a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for the proposed directors.
- 2Reserve the company name in SPICe+ Part A (Rs 1,000; valid 20 days).
- 3Complete SPICe+ Part B with capital, directors, registered office and NIC codes.
- 4Attach eMOA (INC-33), eAOA (INC-34), INC-9 and AGILE-PRO-S (INC-35).
- 5Have a practising CS/CA/CMA/advocate certify the form.
- 6Pay the MCA fee (zero up to Rs 15L capital) and state stamp duty.
- 7Submit; the ROC processes it and issues the Certificate of Incorporation (CIN, PAN, TAN).
Frequently asked questions
Does a director have to be an Indian citizen?+
No. The rule is residency, not citizenship - at least one director must have stayed in India 182+ days in the previous financial year. Foreign nationals can be directors (with an Indian-CA-issued DSC and authenticated documents).
How much does it cost to register a Private Limited company?+
The MCA filing fee is zero for authorised capital up to Rs 15 lakh. State stamp duty on the MOA/AOA is the main variable cost and differs by state and capital; SPICe+ calculates it automatically.
Do I need a CA to register the company?+
Not specifically a CA. The SPICe+ declaration can be certified by a practising Company Secretary, CA, CMA, or advocate. In practice a CS commonly handles incorporation.