Foreign companies, overseas founders and international groups considering a presence in India.
Scope may include
Review of the proposed business activity and ownership structure
Assessment of establishment options and investment considerations
Incorporation and initial registration support
Coordination of information for banks and professional advisers
Post-establishment accounting and compliance planning
Typical engagement outputs
Agreed establishment work plan
Document and responsibility checklist
Initial compliance and reporting schedule
The appropriate structure and approval requirements depend on activity, ownership and applicable law. Incorporation or regulatory approval is not guaranteed.
How an engagement begins
Share a brief description of your requirements. We review scope and acceptance, identify the information needed, and agree responsibilities and engagement terms before starting work.
Start with the business model, before choosing the entity
An overseas business may arrive with a preferred company structure, but a useful review begins with what the Indian operation will actually do. Will it sell to Indian customers, provide support to a parent, employ a team, own inventory or contract with local suppliers? Who will bear commercial risk and fund the operation? These questions help organise the incorporation, investment, tax, banking and reporting discussions around the same facts. Our New Delhi practice can coordinate an agreed India-entry assignment with the overseas management team and its existing advisers.
The first output should be a clear set of assumptions and dependencies, rather than a promise that incorporation alone makes the business ready to operate. A registered entity, an operational bank account, tax registrations, employment arrangements and group reporting are different workstreams. The engagement plan should identify which of these the firm will handle, which require another professional or authority, and which remain the client’s responsibility. Sector, ownership and transaction facts must be reviewed before an establishment route is selected.
Build a connected establishment work plan
For a foreign-owned subsidiary, the ownership chart and proposed funding should be considered alongside the operating model. Group approvals, document execution, local signatories and bank information requests can affect sequencing. An incorporation date should therefore be distinguished from the date on which the business expects to recruit, invoice customers or receive funding. We can help prepare a document tracker, allocate responsibilities and explain the information required for the agreed professional work. Authority and bank processing times remain outside the firm’s control.
The post-establishment phase deserves equal attention. A business may need a monthly close process, payroll inputs, tax and GST records, intercompany documentation and information for the foreign parent. Planning these early helps avoid incomplete opening records and repeated requests for the same information. The India team and the overseas finance function should agree reporting currency, closing dates, evidence standards and escalation contacts. If ongoing support is required, it is scoped separately from incorporation so that deliverables and responsibilities remain visible.
Information and documents to organise
A concise business plan, expected activities, customer locations and proposed operating states.
A group ownership chart, home jurisdictions and intended Indian shareholders and directors.
Proposed capital or other funding, expected currencies and relevant group approvals.
Intended premises, initial staffing, contracting arrangements and target operational date.
Overseas reporting requirements, proposed accounting systems and existing adviser contacts.
Questions already raised by a bank, investor or authority, with the relevant correspondence.
Common planning gaps
Frequent issues include selecting an entity before reviewing the activity, treating a banking timeline as guaranteed, and leaving finance processes until after the first transactions. Another gap is assuming that the parent company’s overseas documents and contracts can be reused unchanged in India. We recommend a single issue list that records the fact to confirm, the person responsible and the next decision. This does not remove regulatory uncertainty, but it makes the dependencies easier for the group to manage.
An initial enquiry is used to understand the requirement, relevant jurisdictions and timing. The firm then considers engagement acceptance and identifies the information needed for a defined scope. Deliverables, client responsibilities, communication arrangements and fees are agreed separately before professional work begins. Where more than one service is required, the workstreams should share a consistent set of facts while keeping their responsibilities clear.
For a productive first discussion, explain the decision you need to make and any deadline already set by an authority, bank or group team. Identify records that are missing and advisers already involved. Do not send passwords, identity documents or confidential client files through a general enquiry. Once an engagement and information needs are agreed, the firm can coordinate an appropriate route for supporting records. Advice and timelines depend on the circumstances; a website guide does not create an engagement or guarantee an outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign company discuss an Indian subsidiary with the firm?
Yes. Start with the proposed activity, ownership, home jurisdiction and funding plan. The firm reviews the facts and applicable professional requirements before agreeing an assignment.
How long does an India-entry assignment take?
There is no single reliable timeline. Document readiness, the structure selected, authority processing and banking requirements affect the plan. Milestones and dependencies are identified after the initial review.
Can incorporation and ongoing compliance be coordinated?
These can be considered together, with separate deliverables for establishment and recurring accounting, payroll, tax, GST and corporate-compliance work. The agreed engagement defines responsibility for each item.