Company · Birth
I'm starting a company — what actually gets filed?
The short answer
Incorporation is a single SPICe+ filing on MCA V3: Part A reserves the name, Part B bundles INC-32 with INC-33 (Memorandum), INC-34 (Articles), and INC-9 (director and subscriber declarations). Once the certificate of incorporation is issued, you open statutory registers and hold your first board meeting within 30 days. INC-20A — the commencement of business declaration under Section 10A — is due within 180 days of incorporation.
What gets filed with MCA
One-time filing at the time of incorporation. No recurring deadline.
Section 7, Companies Act 2013; Companies (Incorporation) Rules 2014
Filed simultaneously with INC-32 at incorporation. One-time.
Section 4, Companies Act 2013
Filed simultaneously with INC-32 at incorporation. One-time.
Section 5, Companies Act 2013
Filed as part of INC-32 at incorporation. One-time.
Section 7(1)(b), Companies Act 2013
Within 180 days of incorporation.
Section 10A, Companies Act 2013 (inserted by Companies Amendment Act 2019)
Integrated name reservation + incorporation web form on MCA V3 (Part A name, Part B incorporation)
Rule 38, Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014
The paperwork nobody tells you about
Statutory formats that never touch the MCA portal — but an ROC inspection or due diligence will ask for every one of them.
Register of members (MGT-1) and statutory registers opened on incorporation
Section 88, Companies Act 2013
Held within 30 days of incorporation
Section 173(1), Companies Act 2013
The sequence
- 1Reserve the company name through SPICe+ Part A on MCA V3
- 2Complete SPICe+ Part B and file INC-32 with INC-33, INC-34, and INC-9
- 3Receive the certificate of incorporation from the Registrar
- 4Open the register of members (MGT-1) and other statutory registers
- 5Hold the first board meeting within 30 days of incorporation and file INC-20A within 180 days
Do it with us — or check it yourself first
Questions founders actually ask
Which forms are filed at incorporation?
INC-32 (SPICe+) is the main incorporation form, filed together with INC-33 (Memorandum of Association), INC-34 (Articles of Association), and INC-9 (declaration by first directors and subscribers). All are one-time filings under Section 7 and the Companies (Incorporation) Rules 2014.
What happens after we get the incorporation certificate?
You open statutory registers including the register of members under Section 88, hold your first board meeting within 30 days under Section 173(1), and file INC-20A declaring commencement of business within 180 days under Section 10A.
Is there a deadline before we can start trading?
Section 10A requires filing INC-20A within 180 days of incorporation. Until that declaration is filed, the company cannot commence business or exercise borrowing powers.
Last verified 2026-08-24 against MCA V3 records and ICSI reference material. Form-level deadlines and penalties live on the linked form pages and update there.