Doing business in India: for NRIs and foreign companies

For foreign companies, overseas founders and NRIs who want to start or run a business in India: entry structure, incorporation, FEMA/FDI reporting, India tax and ongoing accounting and compliance, handled online in English.

What's included

Choosing the entry structureWholly owned subsidiary, joint venture company, LLP, or branch / liaison / project office, compared for tax, FEMA and compliance requirements.FEMA · FDI Policy

Company / LLP incorporation for foreign shareholdersSPICe+ or FiLLiP filings with notarised/apostilled documents of foreign directors and shareholders, DIN, PAN and TAN.SPICe+ · FiLLiP

FDI reporting with RBIFC-GPR on issue of shares, FC-TRS on share transfers and the annual FLA return on the FIRMS portal, through the authorised dealer bank.FC-GPR · FC-TRS · FLA

Branch, liaison & project officeApplication through the authorised dealer bank, PAN/TAN, and annual activity certificate and filings.FEMA

GST and other registrationsGST registration, Import Export Code and state registrations for the Indian entity.GST · IEC

Tax treaties & payments abroadDTAA analysis, Tax Residency Certificate and Form 10F, and Form 15CA/15CB for remittances to the parent or overseas vendors.DTAA · 15CA/15CB

Transfer pricingDocumentation and Form 3CEB for transactions with overseas group companies.Transfer pricing

Accounting, payroll & annual complianceMonthly books, payroll and TDS, statutory audit, ROC and income-tax filings, with reporting in English for overseas management.Annual compliance

NRI taxationResidential status, ITR for NRIs, capital gains on Indian property and shares, and lower TDS certificates.NRI

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign company or individual own 100% of an Indian company?

In most sectors, yes, under the automatic route of India's FDI policy. Some sectors have caps, conditions or need government approval, so the sector is checked before incorporation.

Do I need to travel to India?

Usually not. Documents are signed and notarised or apostilled in your country and shared by email and courier. An Indian private company needs at least one director who has stayed in India for at least 182 days in the year.

How do you work with overseas clients?

Meetings by video call, documents by email, communication in English, and office hours in IST (UTC+5:30), with call times arranged to suit your time zone.

Can NRIs get help with property sale and TDS?

Yes: capital gains computation, lower TDS certificate applications, ITR filing in India and Form 15CA/15CB for repatriation of sale proceeds.

Enquire about Doing Business in India WhatsApp

Have a tax, GST or business question?

Call, WhatsApp or email CA Dilbagh Singh and team, from Delhi, anywhere in India or abroad.

Send an enquiry WhatsApp