India is open for business. We make sure you enter it correctly.

India rewards businesses that enter with a strong legal and regulatory foundation in place. We have been getting it right for international businesses since 2000.

Talk to our India advisory team

Nine services, one point of contact. Ready when you are.

Entity and structure
Choosing and setting up the right legal entity for your India operation, structured around your tax position and long-term goals.
What's included: Certificate of Incorporation filing · Apostille and documentation for foreign directors · Entity structuring around your tax position
FDI, FEMA and RBI
Full compliance architecture for foreign investment, and for every transfer of funds in or out of India.
What's included: FDI route assessment, including sector caps and approval requirements · RBI filings for foreign investment · FEMA compliance for every cross-border transfer
Manufacturing and factory setup
“We don't just file the paperwork. We see it through.”
Site advisory
What's included: State selection and comparison, including capital subsidies and power tariff concessions · Single-window clearance coordination
Land acquisition
What's included: Land identification and acquisition · Factory registration
Regulatory clearances
What's included: Environmental clearances and operating licences · PLI scheme eligibility assessment and application, where applicable
Red-tape resolution
What's included: Running clearances in parallel wherever the state allows it · Ongoing follow-up until each application clears
Product and import clearances
FSSAI, CDSCO, BIS and Legal Metrology registrations, so your products reach the Indian market without delay.
What's included: FSSAI registration (food products) · CDSCO approval (pharma and medical devices) · BIS certification (electronics and other regulated goods) · Legal Metrology registration
Trademark and IP
Filing and enforcement across every relevant class, so your brand is protected from day one.
What's included: Trademark filing across multiple classes · Brand enforcement and infringement action
GST, customs and tax
Structuring your GST, transfer pricing and customs position from the outset, not after the fact.
What's included: GST registration and structuring · Transfer pricing documentation · Customs classification and duty planning · Treaty benefit structuring for profit repatriation
Distribution and e-commerce
A compliant go-to-market structure built around India's FDI rules for foreign-owned retail and e-commerce.
What's included: B2B wholesale distribution structuring · Single Brand Retail Trading route assessment · Marketplace registration
Labour and HR compliance
Employment contracts, statutory registrations, and ongoing labour law compliance for your Indian workforce.
What's included: Employment contract drafting · Statutory registrations for your workforce · Ongoing labour law compliance monitoring
Annual compliance and CFO
Your full annual filing calendar, managed so nothing is missed across the ROC, RBI, GST and sector regulators.
What's included: Registrar of Companies (ROC) annual filings · RBI and GST compliance calendar · Sector-specific regulatory filings · Factory, environmental and labour compliance (for manufacturing clients)

How it works

1
Tell us
Share your business and your India ambitions.
2
Strategy note
We come back with a clear, written assessment of your options, timeline and costs.
3
Engage
We begin work once you are ready, on a fixed scope and fee.
4
Milestones
You are updated at every key stage, not just at the end.
5
Operate
We stay on for ongoing compliance once you are live, if you would like us to.

Your India entry questions, answered clearly

Getting started

We are a foreign company. Can we own 100% of an Indian subsidiary?

In most sectors, yes. India permits 100% foreign ownership through the automatic FDI route for the majority of industries. Some sectors, including defence, retail and financial services, have specific conditions or caps. We review the FDI rules that apply to your sector before any filing begins.

How long does it take to set up a company in India?

Once all required documents are ready, a Certificate of Incorporation typically takes around three to four weeks, and preparing apostilled documents for foreign directors usually adds a further two to three weeks. Timelines vary with the authorities' own processing, and we start the preparation the day your engagement begins.

What ongoing compliance is required once we are set up?

Significant. Indian companies have overlapping filing obligations to the Registrar of Companies, the RBI, GST authorities and sector-specific regulators. For manufacturing clients, factory inspectors, pollution control boards and labour authorities add further layers. We manage the complete compliance calendar through our annual retainer service.

Do you work with companies from outside the UK and Canada?

Yes. Many of our clients are from the US, UAE, Singapore, Australia, Japan and Europe. Our UK, Canada and US offices are our western anchor points, and our India advisory serves international businesses from every jurisdiction.

Do we need a resident Indian director?

Most Indian companies require at least one director who is resident in India. We advise on the requirement for your entity type and can help you meet it as part of setup.

Manufacturing

We want to manufacture in India. Where do we start?

State selection is the first and most consequential decision. Different states offer different incentives: capital subsidies, power tariff concessions and single-window clearances. We begin with a state comparison calibrated to your sector and supply chain, then manage land acquisition, factory registration, environmental clearances and every operating licence through to first production.

What is the PLI scheme and could we benefit?

India's Production Linked Incentive scheme offers cash incentives, typically a percentage of incremental sales, to manufacturers who commit to production targets over a set period. Current rates vary by sector and change over time. We assess your eligibility as part of our pre-investment advisory and manage the application and annual claims if you qualify.

How long does factory setup typically take once we have chosen a site?

It varies by state and sector, but many clients move from land acquisition to first production in roughly six to fourteen months. Environmental and factory licensing usually set the pace, and we run these in parallel with construction wherever the state allows it.

Tax and treaties

What tax does India charge on profits sent back to our home country?

This depends on the tax treaty between India and your home country. India has Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements with the US, Canada, UK, UAE, Singapore and Australia, among others, which set reduced withholding tax rates on dividends, royalties and management fees. We confirm the current position for your case.

Can you help us structure our operations to reduce our overall tax burden in India?

Yes. We look at your entity structure, transfer pricing position and applicable treaty benefits together, rather than treating tax as an afterthought. Getting this right from the outset is usually worth more than any relief we could claim later.

Selling in India

Can a foreign-owned company sell directly to Indian consumers online?

Not through an inventory-based model. India's FDI policy restricts this for 100% foreign-owned entities. The compliant structure is a B2B wholesale model, where your Indian entity sells to an Indian-owned distributor. Direct-to-consumer capability is available through the Single Brand Retail Trading route, which has specific conditions we manage for you.

Do we need a separate registration to sell through marketplaces like Amazon India?

Marketplace selling has its own registration and compliance requirements, separate from setting up a direct e-commerce operation. We advise on the route that fits your business model, including where a marketplace-only approach may let you enter faster.