Business Registration
Business Registration Services in India
A business in India can be registered in four main forms. They differ in who carries the liability, how much annual compliance they attract, and whether the business can raise equity. This page covers how to choose between them and what registration involves. The detail for each one is on its own page.
The four structures
If you already know which one you need, go straight to it. Each page covers eligibility, documents, the filing process and cost.
Private Limited
For businesses seeking a scalable corporate structure.
Explore Private Limited RegistrationLLP
For businesses structured around partners with limited liability.
Explore LLP RegistrationPartnership
For businesses formed by partners under a partnership structure.
Explore Partnership RegistrationProprietorship
For individuals starting and operating a business as a sole proprietor.
Explore Proprietorship Registration
How to choose
Four things that decide it
Most structure decisions come down to these, in this order. If the first two point the same way, the choice is usually already made.
01
Who carries the liability
In a proprietorship and a partnership firm there is no separation between the business and the people behind it, so business debts reach personal assets. A company and an LLP are separate legal entities, and liability is limited to what is unpaid on shares or agreed as contribution. This is usually the single most important difference.
02
Whether you need to raise equity
Only a company can issue equity shares. If priced funding rounds, convertible instruments or an ESOP pool are part of the plan, the Private Limited Company is the structure that supports them. An LLP or a firm would need to be converted first, which costs time and money.
03
How much compliance you can carry
A company has statutory audit from its first financial year and annual ROC filings regardless of turnover. An LLP's audit obligation starts above prescribed thresholds. A partnership firm and a proprietorship carry the least. Compliance is an annual running cost, not a one-time one.
04
How many people are involved
A proprietorship is one person by definition. A partnership firm, an LLP and a private company each need at least two. If ownership is likely to change hands, a company handles that through share transfer without disturbing the business itself.
If the answer is not obvious from the four above, that is a consulting conversation rather than a filing question. Business consulting covers the structure decision in more depth.
The four structures side by side
Liability, compliance load and whether equity can be issued are the differences that matter most in practice.
| Feature | Private Limited | LLP | Partnership | Proprietorship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governing law | Companies Act, 2013 | Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 | Indian Partnership Act, 1932 | No dedicated statute; governed by the registrations held |
| Separate legal identity | Yes. The company is distinct from its shareholders and can own property and contract in its own name. | Yes. The LLP is a body corporate distinct from its partners. | No. The firm has no legal identity separate from its partners, though it can be registered with the Registrar of Firms. | No. The proprietor and the business are the same person in law. |
| Owners or partners | 2 to 200 shareholders; minimum 2 directors, at least one resident in India | Minimum 2 partners with no upper limit; minimum 2 designated partners, at least one resident in India | Minimum 2 partners, maximum 50 | A single owner only. Co-owners are not possible. |
| Liability | Limited to any amount unpaid on the shares held | Limited to the partner's agreed contribution. A partner is not liable for another partner's wrongful acts. | Unlimited and joint. Partners are personally liable, including for each other's acts in the firm's name. | Unlimited. Personal assets are exposed to every business debt. |
| Raising equity investment | Yes. Shares can be issued and transferred, and an ESOP pool created. | No. An LLP cannot issue equity shares. | No. Capital can only come from existing or newly admitted partners. | No. There is no mechanism to bring in an investor without changing structure. |
| Compliance level | Highest. Statutory audit from the first year, annual ROC filings, board meetings and minutes. | Moderate. Form 8 and Form 11 annually; audit only if turnover exceeds ₹40 lakh or contribution exceeds ₹25 lakh. | Low. No annual ROC filing. Income tax return and any GST obligations apply. | Lowest. No ROC filing. Obligations follow the registrations held, plus the proprietor's own income tax return. |
| Taxation | Taxed as a company at corporate rates. Dividends are taxable in the shareholder's hands. | Taxed at the rate applicable to firms. Partners are not taxed again on their profit share. | Taxed at the rate applicable to firms. Partners are not taxed again on their profit share. | Business income is taxed in the proprietor's own return at individual slab rates. |
| Continuity | Perpetual succession. Continues regardless of change in shareholders or directors. | Perpetual succession. Continues regardless of change in partners. | Depends on the deed. Can dissolve on a partner's death or retirement unless the deed provides otherwise. | Does not survive the proprietor. |
| Typical setup time | Commonly 7 to 12 working days with complete documents | Commonly 7 to 10 working days with complete documents | Deed can be executed within a few days; Registrar of Firms timelines vary by state | Udyam is usually same-day; GST commonly 7 to 15 working days where applicable |
| Suitable for | Founders raising investment, teams issuing ESOPs, businesses needing a formal board structure | Partner-run firms and professional practices wanting limited liability without a company's compliance load | Two or more people starting together at low cost, where limited liability is not the priority | A single owner starting small, with limited liability exposure and no plan to bring in partners |
| Governing law | Companies Act, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Separate legal identity | Yes. The company is distinct from its shareholders and can own property and contract in its own name. |
| Owners or partners | 2 to 200 shareholders; minimum 2 directors, at least one resident in India |
| Liability | Limited to any amount unpaid on the shares held |
| Raising equity investment | Yes. Shares can be issued and transferred, and an ESOP pool created. |
| Compliance level | Highest. Statutory audit from the first year, annual ROC filings, board meetings and minutes. |
| Taxation | Taxed as a company at corporate rates. Dividends are taxable in the shareholder's hands. |
| Continuity | Perpetual succession. Continues regardless of change in shareholders or directors. |
| Typical setup time | Commonly 7 to 12 working days with complete documents |
| Suitable for | Founders raising investment, teams issuing ESOPs, businesses needing a formal board structure |
| Governing law | Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Separate legal identity | Yes. The LLP is a body corporate distinct from its partners. |
| Owners or partners | Minimum 2 partners with no upper limit; minimum 2 designated partners, at least one resident in India |
| Liability | Limited to the partner's agreed contribution. A partner is not liable for another partner's wrongful acts. |
| Raising equity investment | No. An LLP cannot issue equity shares. |
| Compliance level | Moderate. Form 8 and Form 11 annually; audit only if turnover exceeds ₹40 lakh or contribution exceeds ₹25 lakh. |
| Taxation | Taxed at the rate applicable to firms. Partners are not taxed again on their profit share. |
| Continuity | Perpetual succession. Continues regardless of change in partners. |
| Typical setup time | Commonly 7 to 10 working days with complete documents |
| Suitable for | Partner-run firms and professional practices wanting limited liability without a company's compliance load |
| Governing law | Indian Partnership Act, 1932 |
|---|---|
| Separate legal identity | No. The firm has no legal identity separate from its partners, though it can be registered with the Registrar of Firms. |
| Owners or partners | Minimum 2 partners, maximum 50 |
| Liability | Unlimited and joint. Partners are personally liable, including for each other's acts in the firm's name. |
| Raising equity investment | No. Capital can only come from existing or newly admitted partners. |
| Compliance level | Low. No annual ROC filing. Income tax return and any GST obligations apply. |
| Taxation | Taxed at the rate applicable to firms. Partners are not taxed again on their profit share. |
| Continuity | Depends on the deed. Can dissolve on a partner's death or retirement unless the deed provides otherwise. |
| Typical setup time | Deed can be executed within a few days; Registrar of Firms timelines vary by state |
| Suitable for | Two or more people starting together at low cost, where limited liability is not the priority |
| Governing law | No dedicated statute; governed by the registrations held |
|---|---|
| Separate legal identity | No. The proprietor and the business are the same person in law. |
| Owners or partners | A single owner only. Co-owners are not possible. |
| Liability | Unlimited. Personal assets are exposed to every business debt. |
| Raising equity investment | No. There is no mechanism to bring in an investor without changing structure. |
| Compliance level | Lowest. No ROC filing. Obligations follow the registrations held, plus the proprietor's own income tax return. |
| Taxation | Business income is taxed in the proprietor's own return at individual slab rates. |
| Continuity | Does not survive the proprietor. |
| Typical setup time | Udyam is usually same-day; GST commonly 7 to 15 working days where applicable |
| Suitable for | A single owner starting small, with limited liability exposure and no plan to bring in partners |
How we work
From the first conversation to a registered business
The same five stages apply whichever structure you choose. What changes is the filing in the middle.
- Step 1: Idea
You know what you want to build
A conversation about the business, who is involved and whether outside investment is likely. That is usually enough to narrow the structure to one or two options.
- Step 2: Choose
Pick the structure deliberately
What each option means for your liability, your annual compliance and your tax position, with the expected cost set out before anything is filed. You decide.
- Step 3: Register
Documents and filings handled
Digital signatures, name approval, drafting and the statutory filings, including responding to any Registrar query or resubmission request.
- Step 4: Start
Open for business
You receive the incorporation certificate or registration documents, and guidance on the immediate next steps such as opening a current account.
- Step 5: Grow
The structure keeps working
Registration is the first step, not the finish. As the business grows, the group can help with what the structure requires next.
Estimated timelines can vary depending on documentation, government processing and other factors outside our control.
What we handle
What Raulji Group does
Registration involves a sequence of filings, each of which can be rejected for a formatting or documentation reason. This is the part we take on.
- Working out which structure fits before anything is filed
- Digital Signature Certificates for the proposed directors, partners or proprietor
- Name availability checking and the name reservation application
- Drafting the constitutional documents: MOA and AOA, LLP Agreement or partnership deed
- Preparing and filing the incorporation forms on the MCA portal
- Responding to Registrar queries and resubmission requests
- Handing over the certificate and the documents a bank will ask for
Raulji Group is a private business-services firm. We are not a government department and are not affiliated with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the GST department or any other authority. We prepare and file applications on your behalf; approval rests with the relevant authority.
Where we work
Registration support across Gujarat
Incorporation is filed through the MCA portal, so the process and the timeline are the same wherever you are. Our city pages cover the local business character of each market, which is the part that actually shapes the structure decision.
Gujarat CoverageFAQs
Business registration questions
Which business structure should I register?
It depends mainly on four things: whether you need liability separated from your personal assets, whether you will raise equity funding, how much annual compliance you can carry, and how many people are involved. A Private Limited Company suits businesses planning to raise investment. An LLP suits professional or partner-run firms that want limited liability with less compliance. A partnership firm suits a small joint business operating on trust. A proprietorship suits one person testing an idea or running a modest business.
Is Raulji Group part of the MCA or a government body?
No. Raulji Group is a private business-services firm. We prepare and file applications with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and other authorities on your behalf, and we provide MCA filing support, but we have no government affiliation and no influence over approvals. Every approval rests with the relevant authority.
Can I register a business without visiting your office?
Yes. Company and LLP incorporation is filed online through the MCA portal, and Digital Signature Certificates are issued using video and Aadhaar-based verification. Documents can be shared electronically. We are based in Vadodara and work with businesses across Gujarat and the rest of India on this basis.
How long does business registration take?
It varies by structure and by how complete the documentation is. A proprietorship's constituent registrations are the quickest, a partnership deed can be executed quickly, and company and LLP incorporation depends on name approval and Registrar processing. Each service page carries an estimate for that structure. Estimated timelines can vary depending on documentation, government processing and other factors outside our control.
Can I change my business structure later?
Yes, but it is work rather than a switch. Converting a firm or an LLP into a company, or changing between structures, means fresh registrations, a new PAN and TAN in most cases, new bank mandates, and moving contracts, licences and GST registration across. That is why the initial decision is worth getting right.
What does registration cost in total?
There are two separate amounts: our professional fee, and the government and statutory charges, which include stamp duty that varies by state and by capital. We publish our professional fee for Private Limited and LLP registration on their service pages. Government charges are quoted separately before filing, because they depend on your specific details. We do not describe any package as all inclusive.
Still deciding which structure to register?
Tell us what the business does, who is involved and whether outside investment is likely. That is usually enough to narrow it to one option.