Pvt Ltd Company Registration Fees in India: Complete Government Fee Breakdown (2026)
If you're planning to register a Private Limited Company in India, the first question you'll run into is: how much does it actually cost?
The honest answer is that there's no single number — the total depends on your authorised capital, the state you register in, how many directors you have, and whether you hire a professional. This guide breaks down every component so you can budget accurately, with no surprises.
Quick Answer
For a standard 2-director Private Limited Company with ₹1–10 lakh authorised capital, total registration cost typically falls between ₹7,000 and ₹25,000, all-inclusive. This covers MCA government fees, stamp duty, Digital Signature Certificates (DSC), and professional charges. If you skip a consultant and file everything yourself, you can bring the unavoidable government-side cost down to roughly ₹5,000–₹8,000.
What Actually Makes Up the Cost?
Company registration cost in India isn't a single government fee — it's made up of several distinct pieces:
- MCA (government) filing fee for the SPICe+ incorporation form
- Name reservation fee
- Stamp duty on the MoA and AoA (state-specific)
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for each director
- Professional fees, if you hire a CA/CS/consultant
Let's go through each one.
1. MCA Government Filing Fee (SPICe+)
This is the actual fee charged by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for processing your incorporation application through the SPICe+ (Simplified Proforma for Incorporating Company Electronically Plus) form — the single integrated form that bundles name reservation, incorporation, DIN allotment, and PAN/TAN application.
Here's the good news: the government has made this fee nil for most small companies. The MCA charges no incorporation filing fee where authorised share capital stays within a prescribed threshold, currently ₹15 lakh, which means the core filing cost is zero for the vast majority of early-stage private companies.
Roughly, the fee scales like this as authorised capital rises:
- Up to ₹15,00,000 — ₹0 (NIL)
- ₹15,00,001 to ₹25,00,000 — around ₹500
- ₹25,00,001 to ₹50,00,000 — around ₹1,000
- Above ₹50,00,000 — ₹2,000 and upward
Takeaway: Start with ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh authorised capital. There's no benefit to setting a higher figure at incorporation — you can always raise it later through a simple board resolution (Form SH-7) once you actually need it, such as during a fundraise.
2. Name Reservation Fee
Reserving your company name (via RUN or SPICe+ Part A) costs around ₹1,000 per application, covering two proposed names. If both are rejected, you'll need to pay again for a fresh attempt — so it pays to check name availability on the MCA name search and the trademark registry before you apply, since name clashes are one of the most common causes of delay.
3. DIN, PAN, and TAN — Bundled Free
These used to be separate applications with their own fees. Today, they're bundled into SPICe+ at no extra government cost:
- DIN (Director Identification Number): free for up to 3 directors when allotted through SPICe+
- PAN: auto-allotted, no fee
- TAN: auto-allotted, no fee
4. Stamp Duty on MoA and AoA — The Biggest Variable
This is where costs swing the most, because stamp duty is a state subject, not a central government fee. Higher authorised capital means higher stamp duty, and rates differ meaningfully from one state to another.
For ₹1 lakh authorised capital, approximate total stamp duty (MoA + AoA combined) looks roughly like this across major states:
- Maharashtra: ₹500–₹700 (among the cheapest)
- Delhi: ₹500–₹800
- Uttar Pradesh: ₹400–₹700
- Tamil Nadu: ₹600–₹800
- West Bengal: ₹500–₹800
- Madhya Pradesh: ₹700–₹2,500
- Rajasthan: ₹1,000–₹1,500
- Karnataka: ₹1,000–₹2,000
- Kerala: ₹1,200–₹5,500
- Gujarat: ₹5,100–₹12,600 (among the priciest, due to a higher AoA rate)
These are indicative figures — always confirm current rates with your state's revenue department or your CA/CS before filing, since state notifications change periodically.
Cost-saving tip: If your business is location-flexible (fully remote, digital-first), registering in a lower-stamp-duty state like Maharashtra, Delhi, or Uttar Pradesh instead of Gujarat or Kerala can save you several thousand rupees at incorporation.
5. Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)
Every director needs a Class 3 DSC to digitally sign incorporation documents — this isn't optional, since MCA filings are entirely paperless. A DSC typically costs ₹1,500–₹2,500 per director and is valid for up to 2 years. For a standard 2-director company, budget ₹3,000–₹5,000 for DSCs.
Tip: Buy the 2-year validity option rather than 1-year — you'll need the same DSC again for annual filings like AOC-4, MGT-7, and DIR-3 KYC, so renewing annually just wastes money.
6. Professional Fees (Optional but Common)
If you engage a Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, or online filing platform to handle drafting the MoA/AoA, preparing SPICe+, and managing RoC queries, expect to pay somewhere in the ₹5,000–₹15,000 range for a straightforward incorporation. This isn't a government fee — it's compensation for expertise and for reducing your risk of a rejected application (which would mean re-paying non-refundable stamp duty).
You can legally file SPICe+ yourself and skip this cost entirely, but first-time filers often find professional help worthwhile simply to avoid the delay and expense of a rejected filing.
Total Cost Snapshot
Putting it all together, for a typical 2-director company with ₹1 lakh authorised capital:
- MCA filing fee (SPICe+): ₹0
- Name reservation: ₹1,000
- DIN, PAN, TAN: ₹0 (bundled)
- DSC for 2 directors: ₹3,000–₹5,000
- Stamp duty: ₹500–₹12,600, depending on state
- Professional fees (optional): ₹5,000–₹15,000
Total: roughly ₹7,000–₹25,000 all-in, with the range driven almost entirely by which state you register in and whether you hire help.
Realistic Registration Timeline
- Days 1–2: DSC procurement
- Days 3–4: Name approval
- Days 5–9: Drafting MoA/AoA and preparing SPICe+ Part B
- Days 10–12: Filing SPICe+ on the MCA portal
- Days 12–20: RoC verification and issuance of the Certificate of Incorporation
Overall, expect 10–20 working days from start to a Certificate of Incorporation, assuming your paperwork is clean and there are no clarification queries from the Registrar.
Costs After Incorporation (Don't Forget These)
Getting the Certificate of Incorporation isn't the finish line — a few near-term compliance costs follow immediately:
- INC-20A (Commencement of Business): ₹500 MCA fee, must be filed within 180 days, and requires share capital to be deposited in the company's bank account first
- ADT-1 (Auditor Appointment): ₹300 MCA fee, due within 30 days of incorporation, plus CA audit fees
- DIR-3 KYC: free if filed on time annually; ₹5,000 penalty per director if missed
- GST registration: no government fee, though professionals may charge for the filing
Beyond that, ongoing annual compliance (audit, ROC annual filings, income tax return, GST returns) typically runs ₹15,000–₹50,000+ per year, depending on your turnover and complexity — worth budgeting for from day one rather than treating incorporation as the only cost.
5 Ways to Keep Registration Costs Down
- Start with ₹1 lakh authorised capital. It keeps the MCA fee at zero and minimises stamp duty. Increase it later when you actually need it.
- Register in a low-stamp-duty state if you're location-flexible. Maharashtra, Delhi, and UP are meaningfully cheaper than Gujarat or Kerala.
- Begin with exactly 2 directors (the minimum for a private company). Each extra director adds another DSC cost; you can add co-founders later without re-incorporating.
- Buy 2-year DSC validity instead of renewing annually.
- Get 2–3 quotes before hiring a CA/CS — professional fees for a standard incorporation shouldn't exceed ₹15,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I register a company for free? Not entirely. MCA filing fees are nil for capital up to ₹15 lakh, but you'll still pay for DSC, stamp duty, and name reservation — roughly ₹3,000–₹5,000 as an absolute floor even if you file everything yourself.
Which state has the cheapest registration? Maharashtra and Delhi generally have the lowest stamp duty for standard capital amounts. Gujarat tends to be among the most expensive due to its AoA stamp duty structure.
Can I increase authorised capital later? Yes, by filing Form SH-7 and paying the incremental stamp duty and MCA fee for the new capital slab. Most companies do this at their first funding round rather than at incorporation.
Do I need a professional to register a company? No, it's legally possible to self-file SPICe+. Most founders hire a CA/CS anyway to avoid rejection risk, since a rejected filing means re-paying non-refundable stamp duty.
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