How to Start a Business in India: 7 Simple Steps — Beacon Filing’s 2025 Playbook

1 Pressure-test your idea & study the market

Great compliance can’t rescue a bad product fit. Spend a week on desk research, talk to ten target customers and identify one clear pain-point your solution solves. Build a one-page financial model to see if unit economics stay positive after GST and logistics costs.

2 Pick the right legal structure

Choose an entity that matches risk appetite, ownership plans and investor expectations. (See the “Entity Choice Cheat-Sheet” table below.)

3 Secure digital IDs for the founders

• Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for every director/partner.

• DIN or DPIN now issued automatically inside the SPICe+ or FiLLiP forms, so one e-filing does it all.

4 Reserve the name & file incorporation

• Use RUN for LLPs or the SPICe+ Part-A module for companies.

• Avoid words like Bank, Stock Exchange or Insurance unless a regulator NOC is ready.

• Submit registered-office proof and e-sign the charter documents (MoA/AoA or LLP Agreement draft).

5 Obtain core tax registrations

PAN and TAN are allotted with the approval email.
Most businesses also need:

• GSTIN (mandatory if turnover will cross ₹40 lakh or if you sell online).

• Shops & Establishments Act licence in your state or UT.

• IEC for import-export within 24 hours on the DGFT portal.

6 Open the bank account & inject capital

Banks insist on the Certificate of Incorporation, PAN card and board/partner resolution. Wire the paid-up capital within 30 days and keep the advice slip—ROC may ask for proof during the first annual filing.

7 Complete post-incorporation compliances

• First board/partner meeting within 30 days.

• Issue share or capital contribution certificates.

• Register for EPFO & ESIC if staff strength hits the statutory threshold.

• Set up a cloud accounting ledger from day one—late bookkeeping is the root of 90 % of penalty notices we fix.

Beacon Filing’s dashboard chains all seven steps into one live checklist and auto-generates the required resolutions or e-forms at each stage.

Road-map at a glance

Entity Choice Cheat-Sheet

Why Beacon Filing beats a do-it-yourself approach

• One dashboard, zero paperwork: every document you sign is generated and archived automatically.

• Sector-cap & FEMA compliance baked in: no nasty RBI letters six months later.

• CA-verified bookkeeping from day one: our ledgers sync with your bank feed, keeping the first audit painless.

• Flat fee, no hidden extras: includes all ROC forms, stamp duty, GST and IEC filings plus the first-year compliance kit.

Ready to turn your idea into a registered Indian business?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call and let Beacon Filing turn the seven-step marathon into a guided sprint.

Disclaimer (23 July 2025): Regulations evolve. This playbook is general guidance—always seek personalised professional advice before acting.