Ask Veda
A fundable startup needs the right entity from day one, DPIIT recognition, its IP protected and the founders' deal on paper.
What each registration is, who issues it and when it applies to a startup. Rules vary by state and by size — treat this as the map, and ask us about your exact case.
Mandatory · State labour dept
Registers a shop, office, restaurant or other commercial establishment under the state's Shops and Establishments Act. Who must register, and the exemptions, differ from state to state.
Over threshold or selling online · CBIC
Required once aggregate turnover crosses the threshold — ₹40 lakh for goods and ₹20 lakh for services in most states — and in some cases from the first sale, such as most inter-state supplies of goods.
10 / 20+ employees · EPFO, ESIC
Provident fund applies from 20 employees and ESI from 10 (in notified areas). Registration is due once you cross the count, and monthly contributions follow.
Recommended · for funding and ESOPs
A separate legal entity with limited liability — the structure investors, banks and larger customers expect, and the only common one that can issue equity and ESOPs.
Recommended · tax holiday, IPR rebates
Free recognition for eligible entities under 10 years old with turnover under ₹100 crore: self-certification under labour and environment laws, cheaper and faster patent and trademark filing, and eligibility to apply for the startup income-tax holiday.
Recommended · name and logo
Protects your brand name and logo across India, and is what marketplace brand-registry programmes ask for. Filing early fixes your date of priority.
Recommended · who owns what
Records who owns what, vesting, roles and what happens if a founder leaves — far cheaper to settle on day one than in a dispute.
Some registrations need another one first — this is the sequence that avoids rework.
After the registrations come the returns and filings that keep you compliant.
GST returns, bookkeeping, TDS and annual filings — everything a business like yours has to keep doing, in one place.
See the compliance pack →What people starting a startup ask us most.
Self-certification under labour and environment laws, fast-tracked and cheaper patent and trademark filing, easier public procurement, and eligibility to apply for the startup income-tax holiday.
Once turnover nears the threshold — or earlier if you supply goods inter-state, sell through marketplaces, or your business clients want input tax credit.
Investors take equity, and only a company can issue shares and ESOPs. Converting later costs time and money.
Every sector, with its own checklist.
A CA or CS confirms which of these apply to you, in your state, and handles the ones we cover.