Guide
How long does it take to register a Private Limited company in India?
Realistic answer: 10–18 working days end-to-end for a clean filing. The timeline is set by two ROC processing stages — name approval and incorporation — neither of which can be legally expedited.
Short answer: about two to three and a half weeks, dominated by the two ROC processing windows. DIN and DSC take days, the name gets approved in 2–5 working days, SPICe+ Part B processing takes 2–7 working days after a perfect filing, and PAN/TAN follow automatically. Post-incorporation — bank account and GST — adds another week. What stretches the timeline is not the MCA — it is rework: a rejected name, an address-proof mismatch, or a DSC error each costs 1–2 weeks.
Typical total
10–18 working days for a clean, well-prepared filing.
Fastest realistic
~7–10 working days when the name clears first time and Part B is complete.
The delay trap
Every rejection or resubmission adds 1–2 weeks. Preparation is the only speed lever.
The day-by-day timeline
| Stage | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. DIN + DSC | 1–3 days | Digital Signature Certificates (Class 3) for two directors; DINs are applied for inside SPICe+. |
| 2. Name approval (SPICe+ Part A) | 2–5 working days | ROC checks the name against existing companies and trademarks — the most common rejection point. |
| 3. SPICe+ Part B filing | 1–2 days | Full incorporation form with MoA/AoA, address proof, director declarations and DSC signing. |
| 4. MCA processing → CIN | 2–7 working days | ROC issues the Certificate of Incorporation (CIN). Resubmissions restart this clock. |
| 5. PAN + TAN | 1–3 working days | Auto-issued with incorporation — no separate filing needed. |
| 6. Post-incorporation (bank + GST) | 3–10 working days | Current-account opening and GST registration are separate processes that follow the CIN. |
All MCA stages run through the SPICe+ combined form under the Companies Act, 2013. Times are working days and assume no rejection or resubmission.
What controls the clock
Name check before filing
Search the MCA company database and the trademark registry first. A name that is identical or deceptively similar under s.4 of the Companies Act gets rejected — and the rejection restarts the clock.
A complete Part B
Registered-office address proof, director identity and address proofs, and correct DSC signatures — each missing piece is a resubmission cycle. A prepared filing is the only way to hit the fast end of the range.
Frequently asked questions
Can a company be registered in one day in India?
Not realistically. The MCA incorporation workflow — SPICe+ — is a single combined form, but it has two processing stages: name approval and incorporation, and each is processed by the ROC on its own clock. Even a perfect filing with a pre-approved name typically takes 5–10 working days from submission to CIN. Any "same-day incorporation" offer means same-day filing, not same-day registration. Plan for 10–18 working days end-to-end and be pleasantly surprised if it clears sooner.
What actually delays company registration?
The common causes, in order of frequency: a name rejection (the ROC rejects names that are identical or deceptively similar to an existing company or trademark — see s.4 of the Companies Act); address-proof mismatches in the SPICe+ attachment set (the registered office proof must match the state, not just look valid); a DSC signature error on Part B; and resubmission cycles where each rejection costs 1–2 weeks. Preparation — checking the name against the MCA database and the trademark registry before filing — is what separates a 10-day incorporation from a 6-week one.
Does the authorised capital affect how long registration takes?
No — the processing time is the same for ₹1 lakh and ₹5 crore authorised capital. The authorised capital figure only affects the MCA fee you pay. What does slow things down is choosing an authorised capital that requires additional documentation (for example, a higher stamp duty state or a complex share structure).
When do I get the PAN and TAN?
PAN and TAN are applied for automatically inside the SPICe+ form and are issued once the company is incorporated — typically within a few working days of the CIN being allotted. You do not file separate PAN/TAN applications at incorporation; that is the advantage of the combined form.
How long does the name approval take?
Name approval through SPICe+ Part A is usually processed within 2–5 working days. The ROC rejects applications where the proposed name is identical or deceptively similar to an existing company name or registered trademark. Checking both the MCA company search and the trademark registry before filing avoids the most common rejection.
Next steps
Hub Guide · ROC Annual Filing
Go deeper — the ROC Annual Filing hub
Incorporation is a one-time clock; the annual one repeats every year: MGT-7/MGT-7A within 60 days of the AGM (s.92), AOC-4 within 30 days (s.137), and DIR-3 KYC — with s.403 late fees of ₹100/day and no ceiling. Our firm ROC hub walks through each filing, statute-cited.
Open the hub guide