India
In India, the company registry is the MCA21 Registry, with free Master Data Services for company lookups.
- Official company register
- MCA21 Registry (Registrar of Companies) – Master Data Services
- Free online search
- Yes
- Company identifier
- Corporate Identity Number (CIN), 21 characters; LLPs use the LLPIN. The MCA Find CIN service also accepts the 6-digit registration number.
- Who can see beneficial owners
- Legitimate interest
- Data access for developers
- Free API
- Company search
- mca.gov.in
- Checked on
Search Indian companies for free through MCA21 Master Data Services, which shows CIN, status, capital, registered address, directors with DIN and the index of charges. Inspecting filed documents costs Rs 100, and copies cost Rs 25 per page. Beneficial owner declarations (Form BEN-2) are filed with the Registrar but are not publicly searchable; members of a company may inspect its own SBO register for up to Rs 50. Companies are identified by the 21-character Corporate Identity Number (CIN).
- Region
- Asia-Pacific
- Run by
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs (Registrars of Companies)
- Registry website
- mca.gov.in
- Visible for free
- CIN, company name, ROC, registration number, date of incorporation, email, registered address, listing status, category and class, authorized and paid-up capital, date of last AGM and balance sheet, company status, directors and signatories (DIN, designation, appointment date), index of charges.
- Paid documents and fees
- Inspection of documents kept by the Registrar (s.399(1)(a)) Rs 100; copy of Certificate of Incorporation Rs 100; copy or extract of other documents Rs 25 per page (Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014).
- Beneficial ownership register
- Register of significant beneficial owners (Form BEN-3, kept by company); declarations filed with RoC in Form BEN-2 (s.90 Companies Act 2013)
- Beneficial ownership access in detail
- Companies keep a register of significant beneficial owners (Form BEN-3) and file declarations with the RoC in Form BEN-2. Under s.90(3) and SBO Rules r.5 any member of the company may inspect the register for a fee of up to Rs 50; the MCA portal has no public beneficial ownership search.
- Beneficial ownership register website
- indiacode.nic.in
- API or data service
- https://www.data.gov.in/catalog/company-master-data
- Search interface languages
- English
- What an official extract contains
- Master data (company information, index of charges, director and signatory details); public documents filed with the RoC, such as the certificate of incorporation and annual filings, via View Public Documents.
- What to know before a KYB check
- Master data is free, but filed documents (MoA/AoA, annual returns, financial statements, BEN-2) require a paid inspection through a portal login. The data.gov.in master data is a periodic snapshot, not live status.
- Sources
Page URL MCA Master Data Services https://www.mca.gov.in/content/mca/global/en/mca/master-data/MDS.html MCA Master Company Info (fields) https://www.mca.gov.in/content/mca/global/en/mca/master-data/MDS/company-master-info.html MCA – About Master Data https://www.mca.gov.in/mca/html/mcav2_en/home/mcaservice/masterdata/aboutmasterdata/aboutmasterdata.html MCA – View Public Documents V3 https://www.mca.gov.in/content/mca/global/en/mca/document-related-services/view-public-documents-v3.html MCA – Enquire Fees https://www.mca.gov.in/content/mca/global/en/mca/fo-llp-services/enquire-fees.html MCA – Find CIN https://www.mca.gov.in/content/mca/global/en/mca/fo-llp-services/findCinFinalSingleCom.html Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014 (gazette text, thc.nic.in) https://thc.nic.in/Central%20Governmental%20Rules/Companies%20(Registration%20Offices%20and%20Fees)%20Rules,%202014.pdf India Code – Companies Act s.90 / SBO Rules https://www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/1362/simple-search?query=Companies+%28Significant+Beneficial+Owners%29+Rules%2C+2018.&searchradio=rules data.gov.in – Company Master Data https://www.data.gov.in/catalog/company-master-data MCA Corporate Data Management portal https://www.mcacdm.nic.in/company-master-details - Verification
- Some fields unverified
Questions
How do I check company details in India?
MCA21 Master Data Services shows CIN, status, capital, registered address, directors with DIN and the index of charges for free.
How much does it cost to inspect MCA documents?
Inspecting filed documents costs Rs 100, and copies cost Rs 25 per page.
Are beneficial owners public in India?
No. Form BEN-2 declarations are filed with the Registrar but are not publicly searchable; members may inspect their company’s SBO register for up to Rs 50.
What is a CIN?
The 21-character Corporate Identity Number that identifies an Indian company.
Sources: each listing is compiled from the registry’s own website, the government body that runs it, official fee schedules and legislation, and the EU e-Justice portal. Every source is linked on the listing with the date it was checked. How we compile this reference