Change of Name —
Company, OPC
& Section 8
Change your company's legal name on MCA — Private Limited, OPC, or Section 8 NGO. CA/CS-managed RUN (Reserve Unique Name), special resolution, MOA/AOA amendment, and INC-24 filing. New Certificate of Incorporation issued by ROC.
Why and How Companies Change Their Legal Name
A company's legal name is part of its identity — it appears on every contract, invoice, bank account, GST registration, and MCA filing. Businesses rebrand for many reasons: a brand refresh, a change in business direction, a merger requiring a unified identity, removal of a founder's name, or simply correcting a typographical error in the originally registered name.
Under the Companies Act, 2013, a company can change its name through a resolution of its shareholders — followed by Central Government approval via a name availability check (RUN — Reserve Unique Name) and filing of Form INC-24 with the Registrar of Companies. The ROC issues a new Certificate of Incorporation reflecting the changed name. Critically, the CIN, PAN, and GST registration remain the same — only the name changes, preserving all contracts and compliance history.
Name Change ≠ New Company — All History Is Preserved
A name change is a legal amendment — not a fresh incorporation. The company's CIN, PAN, bank accounts, GST registration, trademarks, contracts, licences, and MCA filing history all carry forward under the new name. Counterparties must be notified of the name change, but no re-execution of contracts is legally required — a name-change addendum is sufficient for most agreements. TaxClue provides a post-name-change checklist covering every update required.
Name Change for Private Limited, OPC & Section 8
The procedure is largely the same across all company types — but each has specific requirements or restrictions that must be understood before initiating the name change.
Section 8 Name Change — Additional Regional Director Approval
Unlike Private Limited or OPC name changes (which only require ROC approval via RUN + INC-24), Section 8 Company name changes require approval from the Regional Director (RD) of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs under Section 8(4). This additional approval step typically adds 3–4 weeks to the timeline. TaxClue prepares the complete application — RUN, special resolution, INC-24, and RD approval petition — as a single managed engagement.
What Makes a Valid Company Name — and What Doesn't
The proposed new name must pass MCA's name approval criteria before RUN is granted. Understanding these rules upfront prevents costly rejections. TaxClue evaluates your proposed name against all criteria before filing.
✅ Name Approval Criteria — Must Be Satisfied
✗ Common Reasons for RUN Rejection
TaxClue Checks Name Availability Before Filing — Preventing Rejection
RUN rejections waste time and require re-filing. Before applying for RUN, TaxClue conducts a comprehensive name availability check — MCA company database, trademark registry, restricted word list, and phonetic similarity screening. We suggest 2–3 alternatives ranked by availability likelihood. Only when a name is confirmed likely to be approved do we file the RUN application.
How TaxClue Handles Company Name Change End-to-End
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1
Name Availability Check & Trademark Search
TaxClue searches the MCA company database, trademark registry (Classes 35, 36, and your industry class), and restricted word list for the proposed name. We advise on the likelihood of RUN approval and suggest modifications if required to maximise approval chances.
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2
File RUN — Reserve Unique Name
Form RUN is filed on MCA V3 with the proposed new name and reason for name change. MCA approves or rejects within 1–3 working days. The approved name is reserved for 20 days — INC-24 must be filed within this window. TaxClue files RUN and monitors approval in real time.
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3
Convene EGM & Pass Special Resolution
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) or Annual General Meeting (AGM) is convened with at least 21 days' notice. A special resolution approving the name change and corresponding MOA amendment is passed with ¾ majority. TaxClue drafts the EGM notice, agenda, explanatory statement, and special resolution text.
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4
File MGT-14 — Within 30 Days of Special Resolution
Form MGT-14 is filed on MCA V3 within 30 days of passing the special resolution — reporting the resolution for MOA amendment to ROC. Attached with certified copy of the special resolution and amended Name Clause of MOA. TaxClue files MGT-14 within 2–3 working days of the EGM.
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5
Amend MOA & AOA — Update Name Clause
The Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association (if the name appears in AOA) are amended to reflect the new name in Clause I (Name Clause) of MOA. TaxClue's CS prepares the amended MOA, ensuring all clauses are updated and the document is compliant with Companies Act requirements.
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6
File INC-24 on MCA V3
Form INC-24 (application for name change) is filed on MCA V3 within the 20-day RUN validity window. Attached with: RUN SRN, certified special resolution, amended MOA, MGT-14 SRN, and director's declaration. Signed with DSC of the authorised director. TaxClue manages the complete submission.
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7
ROC Issues New Certificate of Incorporation
ROC reviews INC-24 and issues a new Certificate of Incorporation reflecting the company's changed name — typically within 7–15 working days of INC-24 submission. TaxClue delivers the certificate and provides a post-name-change checklist covering PAN, GST, bank, trademarks, licences, and website updates.
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8
Post-Change Updates — PAN, GST, Bank, and More
After the new Certificate of Incorporation is received, TaxClue assists with: Income Tax PAN name change application, GST registration amendment (GSTIN remains same), bank account name update communication, trademark name change application, and updating all regulatory licences (MSME, IEC, FSSAI, etc.) to reflect the new name.
20-Day RUN Window — INC-24 Must Be Filed Within This Period
MCA's RUN approval reserves the name for only 20 days. If INC-24 is not filed within this window, the name reservation expires and the entire RUN process must be repeated. TaxClue tracks the RUN expiry date and ensures INC-24 is filed with all attachments well within the 20-day window — preventing the costly delay of a second RUN application.
Documents Checklist — RUN + INC-24
All documents must be current and correctly executed. TaxClue reviews every document before submission to prevent ROC rejection.
What Gets Updated After the Name Change
- Income Tax PAN — name changed through Income Tax e-filing portal or NSDL PAN change request
- GST Registration — amendment filed on GST portal; GSTIN remains the same but trade name and legal name are updated
- Bank accounts — bank notification letter sent with certified copy of new Certificate of Incorporation
- Trademarks — if company has registered trademarks, assignment/recordal of name change filed with IP India
- MSME, IEC, FSSAI, drug licences, and other regulatory registrations — amendment applications filed with respective authorities
- Contracts and agreements — addendum noting name change sent to all major counterparties
- Company letterhead, rubber stamp, invoice templates, website, email signatures — updated to new name
- MCA master data — automatically reflects new name after INC-24 approval and new CoI issuance
Company Name Change — Common Questions
For Private Limited and OPC name changes, the typical end-to-end timeline is 4–6 weeks: name availability check and RUN filing (3–5 days), EGM notice + meeting (3–4 weeks including 21-day notice period), MGT-14 + INC-24 filing, and ROC processing (7–15 working days). For Section 8 companies, the additional Regional Director approval step adds 3–4 weeks, making the total timeline 6–10 weeks. TaxClue begins the RUN application immediately after engagement, minimising overall turnaround.
No — neither the PAN nor the GSTIN changes after a company name change. The PAN is linked to the company's CIN (which remains unchanged), so only the name associated with the PAN needs to be updated through an Income Tax name-change application. Similarly, the GSTIN remains the same — a GST amendment is filed to update the trade name and legal name in the GST portal. All past tax history, ITC balance, and filing records remain attributed to the same PAN and GSTIN.
No — a company cannot change its name within 1 year of its date of incorporation or within 1 year of the last name change. This restriction is under the Companies (Incorporation) Rules. The only exception is when MCA itself directs a name change (e.g., when a registered company's name is found to be identical or deceptively similar to an existing company or trademark after incorporation — in which case the company may be directed to change its name regardless of how recently it was incorporated).
Existing contracts remain legally valid after a name change — the company is the same legal entity and all its rights and obligations under existing contracts continue unaffected. However, counterparties should be formally notified of the name change with a copy of the new Certificate of Incorporation, and a name-change addendum is advisable for major contracts. Bank accounts do not automatically transfer — the bank must be notified and the account name updated by submitting a name change application to the bank along with the new CoI. TaxClue provides a complete post-change communication template set.
RUN (Reserve Unique Name) is the current MCA V3 form used for name reservation — both for fresh incorporations and for name changes by existing companies. It is a simplified, single-window name reservation with quick 1–3 day turnaround. INC-1 was the older name reservation form used on the legacy MCA V2 portal — it is no longer in use. All name reservations (new companies and name changes) are now done through RUN on MCA V3.
Yes — Section 8 companies (incorporated under the Companies Act as non-profit companies) are specifically permitted to use words like "Foundation", "Forum", "Association", "Federation", "Chambers", "Confederation", "Council", "Electoral Trust", or similar terms in their name without appending "Private Limited" or "Limited". This is one of the key distinctions of a Section 8 company. During a name change, the proposed new name containing these words must still be available (not taken by another Section 8 or NGO) and must be approved by the Regional Director as part of the Section 8 name change process.
Company Name Change — Done Right
TaxClue handles the complete name change — RUN application, EGM convening, special resolution, MGT-14, INC-24, and post-change PAN/GST/bank updates — for Private Limited, OPC, and Section 8 companies.
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