Build the right entity from day one.

An OPC works when there is genuinely one owner and you want a company rather than a proprietorship — it needs one director and one nominee, and the compliance is lighter (MGT-7A instead of MGT-7, no AGM). A private limited company needs at least two shareholders and two directors, but it is the structure investors expect, because an OPC cannot issue shares to a second party without converting first. If you expect to raise money or bring in a co-founder within a year, incorporate as a private limited from the start.

Because the company has one member, the law requires a named individual who becomes the member if the sole owner dies or becomes incapacitated — this keeps the company alive rather than leaving it in limbo. The nominee must be a resident Indian individual, must consent in Form INC-3 at incorporation, and can be changed later. The nominee has no rights or role while the owner is active.

It is a Maharashtra package for authorised capital up to ₹1 lakh, and it covers two Digital Signature Certificates, DIN allotment, name reservation, drafting of the MOA and AOA, the SPICe+ incorporation filing, PAN and TAN applications, Udyam or Gumasta registration, the government challan and the professional fee. Capital above ₹1 lakh, other states, or Section 8-specific requirements change the stamp duty and are confirmed before filing.

A name approved for a new company is reserved for 20 days from approval, and a name approved for an existing company changing its name is reserved for 60 days. If you do not complete the incorporation or the name change inside that window, the reservation lapses and the name goes back into the pool — so reserve it when you are ready to move, not months ahead.

Yes, and it is common. Names are refused for resembling an existing company or LLP, for conflicting with a registered trademark, for using restricted words like "National", "Bank" or "Insurance" without approval, or for being too generic to identify a business. We search the MCA and trademark databases first and file two to four options in order of preference, which is why most applications clear on the first or second attempt.

No. A residential address can be the registered office, including your own home, as long as you can produce an address proof not older than two months and a No-Objection Certificate from the owner. What matters legally is that statutory notices served at that address reach you — it does not have to be where you actually work.

Open the company bank account and bring in the subscription money agreed in the MOA, then file INC-20A within 180 days declaring that it has been paid — a company with share capital cannot commence business or borrow until this is filed. Appoint the first auditor within 30 days and file ADT-1. From there the annual cycle begins with your first financial year end.

It can pay reasonable remuneration for actual services rendered, but it cannot distribute profit or pay dividends to its members — all income has to be applied to the charitable objects in the memorandum. This restriction is the reason a Section 8 company carries more donor credibility than other structures, and it is enforced through the licence conditions.