Private Limited Company Incorporation in India 2026 — SPICe+ Form, MCA V3 Portal, Fees and the 7-15 Day Process

Incorporating a private limited company in India in 2026 is the cleanest it has been in 20 years. The MCA V3 portal’s SPICe+ form bundles ten separate registrations into one filing; the process closes in 7-15 working days for a clean case; the all-in cost typically lands between ₹7,000 and ₹25,000 depending on state stamp duty and whether you use a service provider. This page walks through what’s actually involved — minimum requirements, the SPICe+ form mechanics, the fee map, and the 90-day post-incorporation checklist.

What SPICe+ actually consolidates

SPICe+ (form INC-32) replaced the older SPICe form in February 2020. The integrated filing covers:

Layer	Registrations bundled
Companies Act	Incorporation (CIN), DIN allotment for first directors (up to 3), MoA + AoA
Income Tax	PAN, TAN
Indirect tax + labour	GSTIN (optional, India-wide), EPFO, ESIC, Profession Tax (Maharashtra), Shops & Establishment (Delhi)
Banking	Current bank account (via partner banks; SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis, Kotak, others)

Before SPICe+, each of these required a separate form, separate authority, separate processing window — incorporation took 30-45 days. Today the same workflow completes in 7-15 working days through a single MCA portal submission. The 30-45-day quotes still circulating online refer to the pre-2020 regime.

Minimum requirements at a glance

Requirement	Details
Directors	Minimum 2, maximum 15. At least one must be Indian resident (≥182 days in previous FY) per Section 149(3).
Shareholders	Minimum 2, maximum 200. Directors can also be shareholders.
DSC	Class III Digital Signature Certificate for every proposed director
DIN	Allotted for first directors (up to 3) as part of SPICe+; existing DINs are linked
Registered office	Address in India — owned, rented, or director / shareholder-provided. Ownership / NoC + utility bill proof required.
Authorised capital	No statutory minimum since 2015 amendment. Typical: ₹1 lakh or ₹10 lakh.
Name	Must end with ‘Private Limited’; must not conflict with existing entity or trademark; must follow MCA naming guidelines.

The fee map — what you’ll actually pay

For a 2-director Pvt Ltd with ₹1 lakh authorised capital, in a typical state:

Item	Cost
SPICe+ Part A name reservation	₹1,000 per submission (up to 2 names)
MCA registration fee (authorised capital ≤ ₹15 lakh)	₹0 (waived per Companies (Registration of Offices and Fees) Rules 2014; above ₹15L a ₹500 fixed fee plus slab-based add-ons)
Stamp duty on MoA / AoA	₹1,000-₹5,000 state-dependent
PAN + TAN	₹143 combined
DSC class III for 2 directors	₹2,000-₹4,000 (provider-dependent)
Professional fee (CA / CS)	₹3,000-₹15,000
All-in typical range	₹7,000-₹25,000

State-wise stamp duty variation matters. Delhi and Tamil Nadu are at the lower end (₹1,000-₹2,000); Karnataka and Maharashtra higher (₹3,000-₹5,000). The MCA Fee Enquiry Portal gives you the exact figure for your state and capital.

The 7-15 day process, day by day

Day 0-1 — DSC procurement. Apply for Class III DSC for each proposed director through a Certifying Authority (CA) — eMudhra, Sify, nCode, etc. Cost ₹1,000-₹2,000 per DSC. Same-day issuance available; standard turnaround 1-2 days.

Day 1-4 — SPICe+ Part A (Name Reservation). Submit up to 2 proposed names on the MCA V3 portal. Names must be checked against:

• MCA Company Name Master (no existing similar entity)
• IP India trademark register (no conflicting registered mark)
• MCA naming guidelines (restricted words list)

Approval typically Day 1-3. If both names are rejected, re-submit with 2 new names (another ₹1,000).

Day 4-10 — SPICe+ Part B + linked forms. Once the name is reserved (valid for 20 days), file SPICe+ Part B plus the linked forms:

• e-MOA (INC-33) — Memorandum of Association in electronic form
• e-AOA (INC-34) — Articles of Association in electronic form
• AGILE-PRO-S (INC-35) — combined application for PAN, TAN, GSTIN, EPFO, ESIC, Profession Tax, Shops & Establishment, bank account opening

MoA + AoA must be drafted by a professional (CA / CS / advocate) and digitally signed. The full bundle is submitted with the registered-office proof, director KYC, and shareholder consent.

Day 8-15 — MCA processing and Certificate of Incorporation. MCA processes the filing in 4-6 working days for a clean case. CoI is issued with CIN (Company Identification Number), PAN, and TAN simultaneously. The bank account, GSTIN, EPFO, ESIC etc. follow over the next few days as the linked-forms data is processed by the respective authorities.

Entity choice: Pvt Ltd vs LLP vs OPC vs Partnership

Entity	Suited for	Statutory audit	ROC compliance	External equity?
Private Limited (Pvt Ltd)	Founders intending to raise equity, issue ESOPs, scale	Mandatory from Day 1	Annual AOC-4 + MGT-7	Yes — standard VC vehicle
LLP	Service-led duos, no equity-raise plan	Only above turnover ₹40L / contribution ₹25L	Annual Form 8 + Form 11	Hard — VCs typically won’t invest in LLP
OPC	Solo founder, bootstrapping	Mandatory	Lighter than Pvt Ltd	No — converts to Pvt Ltd once turnover crosses ₹2 cr or paid-up ₹50L
Partnership	Lifestyle business, no growth ambition	Tax audit only	Light	No

Default recommendation: Pvt Ltd if you intend to take external capital within 24 months (which most startups do); OPC if you’re a solo founder bootstrapping; LLP for services-led duos with no equity-raise plan; Partnership rarely.

The 90-day post-incorporation checklist

In approximate order:

1. Open the current bank account (typically pre-arranged via AGILE-PRO-S)
2. Bring in initial subscriber capital — issue shares within 60 days
3. File INC-20A (Declaration of Commencement of Business) within 180 days — mandatory; failure invites penalties
4. GST registration if turnover-threshold-crossing or voluntary (see /gst/gst-registration-thresholds/)
5. Udyam Registration (MSME) — free, instant, almost every new company qualifies as Micro under the April 2025 revised thresholds; see the Udyam guide
6. DPIIT Startup India recognition if eligible (within 10 years of incorporation + turnover < ₹100 cr + innovation criteria) — unlocks tax holidays, IPR rebates, and 50% trademark fee concession
7. Bookkeeping setup — accounting software (Tally / Zoho Books / QuickBooks), monthly close discipline, segregation of personal vs business expenses
8. ESIC + EPFO returns if employees crossed thresholds (10+ employees ESIC; 20+ EPFO)
9. Quarterly TDS returns once TDS deduction starts
10. First-year ITR (be aware of the 3-month vs full-year reporting nuance for mid-year incorporations)
11. Annual ROC filing — AOC-4 (within 30 days of AGM) + MGT-7 (within 60 days of AGM)
12. Statutory audit by ICAI-registered CA for first FY (mandatory regardless of size)

DIY vs use a service provider

DIY (₹4,000-₹8,000 all-in, excluding professional MoA/AoA signing): Genuinely viable if you have a CA / CS friend who can draft + sign the MoA / AoA, you’re comfortable reading the MCA V3 portal SPICe+ instructions, and your case is clean (2 standard directors, single-state registered office, no FDI complexity). The MCA portal UX is functional if dated.

Service provider (₹7,000-₹25,000 all-in): The right answer for first-time founders. IndiaFilings, Vakilsearch, LegalWiz, RegisterKaro, MyBillBook, and thousands of local CA / CS firms handle DSC + name + SPICe+ + post-incorporation paperwork. Quotes vary widely; cheapest is rarely best (corner-cutting on MoA / AoA quality bites later). For a stable provider with end-to-end MCA + post-incorporation handover, ₹10,000-₹15,000 is a fair market range.

How BatchWise positions on company incorporation

BatchWise does not incorporate companies. This is genuinely a scope where IndiaFilings, Vakilsearch, and local CA / CS firms are the right answer — they file thousands of SPICe+ submissions a month, have direct MCA relationships, and offer the post-incorporation bundle (bank, accounting setup, ITR / GST handover) as a continuous service. Our coordination scopes (BRSR / ESG assurance, SME compliance bundles) start after incorporation. Once you have a CIN, see the DIY vs hire CA guide for whether you need a full-service CA from Day 1 or can start with a lighter setup.