Foreign companies
Services for foreign companies in India
From the first entity decision to the annual FEMA return, we act as the Indian Chartered Accountants for overseas groups. Engagements are led by CA Utsav Dogra (Chartered Accountant, ICAI M. No. 542375).
What we do for foreign groups
- Indian Subsidiary (Pvt Ltd)Incorporating an Indian subsidiary of a foreign companyA foreign company usually enters India through a private limited company that it owns. Incorporation itself is an online filing with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, but the work that decides whether the company starts cleanly sits around it: checking the FDI route, preparing foreign documents that Indian authorities accept, bringing in the share capital through banking channels, issuing shares in demat form and reporting the investment to the RBI on time.View service
- Branch OfficeOpening a branch office of a foreign company in IndiaA branch office lets a foreign company operate in India as itself, without forming a separate Indian company. It needs approval under FEMA, obtained through an authorised dealer bank, and it may only carry on the activities that approval allows. It suits companies with a defined export, consultancy, IT or representation role in India and a strong home-country track record.View service
- Liaison OfficeSetting up a liaison office of a foreign company in IndiaA liaison office is the lightest formal presence a foreign company can have in India. It can represent the company, promote its products and act as a communication channel, but it cannot earn income in India. It is approved under FEMA through an authorised dealer bank, usually for three years at a time, and is run entirely on money remitted from the head office.View service
- Project OfficeEstablishing a project office in India for a contractA foreign company that wins a contract in India can set up a project office to execute it, without forming an Indian company. The office exists only for that project and closes when it is complete. In most cases no prior approval is needed if the contract meets the conditions for general permission, but the office must be reported to the AD bank, registered with the ROC and run with proper project accounts.View service
- Global Capability CentreSetting up a Global Capability Centre in IndiaA Global Capability Centre is a captive team in India that serves its own group: technology, engineering, finance, analytics or operations. The legal shell is usually a wholly owned subsidiary that bills the parent on a cost-plus basis. What determines whether a GCC runs smoothly is not the incorporation but the tax architecture around it: the transfer pricing model, GST on export of services, payroll and the permanent establishment boundary.View service
- FEMA & RBI ComplianceFEMA and RBI compliance for foreign-owned companiesEvery rupee of foreign investment into an Indian company, and every rupee that goes back, is reported under FEMA. Shares issued, shares transferred, loans from abroad, investments made by the Indian company itself and its annual foreign assets and liabilities all have forms and deadlines. When a filing is missed, the fix is a late submission fee or, for more serious lapses, compounding with the RBI.View service
- Foreign Company ROC FilingsROC filings for foreign companies with a place of business in IndiaA foreign company that has a branch, liaison or project office in India is a 'foreign company' under Chapter XXII of the Companies Act. It registers its place of business with the Registrar, reports changes, and files its Indian accounts and an annual return every year. These filings are separate from the RBI's requirements and are often overlooked.View service
- Corporate Tax, GST & Transfer PricingCorporate income tax, GST and transfer pricing for companies in IndiaA company in India deals with three tax systems at once: income tax on its profits, withholding tax on the payments it makes, and GST on what it supplies. If it belongs to a foreign group, transfer pricing sits on top of all three. We run these together, so the numbers in the tax return, the GST returns, the TDS statements and the transfer pricing report agree with each other and with the audited accounts.View service
- OIDAR GST RegistrationGST registration and returns for overseas digital service providers (OIDAR)A foreign business that sells online information database access and retrieval (OIDAR) services, such as software subscriptions, apps, streaming, cloud storage or online advertising, to consumers in India must register for GST in India and pay 18% IGST, even though it has no presence in the country. Registration is through a simplified online process, and returns are filed every month.View service
- Payroll & Expat ServicesPayroll, social security and expatriate tax in IndiaRunning payroll in India means more than paying salaries. Each month tax is withheld and deposited, provident fund and employee insurance contributions are paid, state professional tax is deducted, and the year closes with tax certificates for every employee. Since November 2025 the four labour codes govern wages, social security and working conditions, and expatriates bring their own tax and provident fund rules.View service
Investing into India by country
Dedicated pages for groups from countries we work with closely, covering the home-country points that change the Indian answer.
USA to India
USA to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a US parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from the USA, step by step
- US documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for US groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from the USA
- How long it takes a US company to start operating in India
UK to India
UK to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a UK parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from the United Kingdom, step by step
- UK documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for UK groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from the United Kingdom
- How long it takes a UK company to start operating in India
Japan to India
Japan to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a Japanese parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from Japan, step by step
- Japanese documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for Japanese groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from Japan
- How long it takes a Japanese company to start operating in India
Germany to India
Germany to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a German parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from Germany, step by step
- German documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for German groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from Germany
- How long it takes a German company to start operating in India
Singapore to India
Singapore to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a Singapore parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from Singapore, step by step
- Singapore documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for Singapore groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from Singapore
- How long it takes a Singapore company to start operating in India
Australia to India
Australia to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a Australian parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from Australia, step by step
- Australian documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for Australian groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from Australia
- How long it takes a Australian company to start operating in India
China to India
China to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a Chinese parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from China, step by step
- Chinese documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for Chinese groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from China
- How long it takes a Chinese company to start operating in India
Hong Kong to India
Hong Kong to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a Hong Kong parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from Hong Kong, step by step
- Hong Kong documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for Hong Kong groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from Hong Kong
- How long it takes a Hong Kong company to start operating in India
Russia to India
Russia to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a Russian parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from Russia, step by step
- Russian documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for Russian groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from Russia
- How long it takes a Russian company to start operating in India
Spain to India
Spain to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a Spanish parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from Spain, step by step
- Spanish documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for Spanish groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from Spain
- How long it takes a Spanish company to start operating in India
France to India
France to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a French parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from France, step by step
- French documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for French groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from France
- How long it takes a French company to start operating in India
UAE to India
UAE to India: setting up and running a company in India
- Choosing an Indian entity for a UAE parent
- Incorporating an Indian subsidiary from the UAE, step by step
- UAE documents for an Indian company: legalisation and translation
- The India-resident director requirement for UAE groups
- Budgeting an Indian subsidiary from the UAE
- How long it takes a UAE company to start operating in India
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