India market entry for foreign companies · Since 2012
Set up your Indian subsidiary in weeks, not months.
How do foreign companies enter India? Most incorporate a wholly owned private limited subsidiary, which is a separate Indian company open to 100% foreign ownership in most sectors under the automatic route. Branch and liaison offices need regulatory approval. ProLead handles incorporation, registrations and FEMA filings end to end.
Foreign companies we have worked with in India
Choose your route
Five ways to enter India, compared.
The right structure depends on whether you will sell in India, hire there, or only test the market. Here is how the options differ.
| Route | Best for | Earns revenue in India | Legal position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholly owned subsidiaryPRIVATE LIMITED | Operating businesses that will sell, hire and contract in India | Yes | Separate Indian company. Parent's liability limited to its capital |
| Branch officeEXTENSION OF PARENT | Parent carrying out permitted activities under its own name | Within permitted activities | Not a separate entity. The parent is directly liable |
| Liaison officeREPRESENTATIVE OFFICE | Market research and representing the parent, with no sales | No | Funded by remittances from abroad |
| LLPLIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP | Service ventures in sectors open to 100% FDI without conditions | Yes | Separate entity. Partners' liability limited |
| GCC / GDCCAPABILITY CENTRE | Building a global capability or development centre for the group | Typically group services | Usually a subsidiary. Build-operate-transfer is an option |
Sector caps and approvals vary. We confirm the route for your sector before you commit.
Which entity is right for you? →By country
Where are you expanding from?
Each corridor has its own tax treaty, parent-company documents and reporting rules. Pick yours for a route-by-route guide.
Singapore to India
Parent-company documents, the treaty position and Singapore-side reporting.
Singapore guide → US → INUSA to India
US GAAP reporting, transfer pricing and parent-company filings.
US guide → UK → INUK to India
Group structuring and the UK–India tax treaty.
UK guide → EU → INEurope to India
Country-by-country documents and treaties for parents in the EU, Switzerland and Norway.
Europe guide → AE → INUAE to India
Holding and treasury structures into India.
UAE guide → + MOREAnother country
Tell us where your parent company sits.
Ask us →Indian entrepreneur or founder, not a foreign company? See ProLead for Indian businesses
How it works
Five steps from first call to first invoice.
- Step 1
Initial consultation
We learn your sector, ownership and hiring plans, and confirm any FDI restrictions.
Week 0 - Step 2
Entity selection
We compare the routes for your case, including tax, liability and repatriation.
Week 1 - Step 3
Documentation
Directors' digital signatures, plus notarised and apostilled parent-company documents.
Weeks 1–3 - Step 4
Registration
Incorporation filing (which also allots director IDs), Certificate of Incorporation, PAN and TAN.
Weeks 3–4 - Step 5
Post-setup support
Bank account, capital inflow and FEMA filings, GST, payroll and the first statutory auditor.
Ongoing
Timeline · Case study
Under three weeks, against a typical 8 to 12.
An overseas group asked ProLead to establish its Indian subsidiary end to end. Our fast-track method finished in under three weeks, bank account included, where the industry-standard timeline runs 8 to 12 weeks.
Time to set up an Indian subsidiary
Weeks from engagement to entity ready to operate
Source: ProLead client engagement. Client name withheld for confidentiality. Timing depends on document readiness.
GCC / GDC set-up
Building a capability centre in India?
We have supported more than 40 GCC and GDC clients. From choosing the entity and the city to hiring through an Employer of Record while the entity is being set up.
After you're set up
One firm from incorporation to month-end close.
Setting up is the start. The same ProLead team can run the Indian entity's accounting, payroll and compliance.
Accounting, tax and compliance
Statutory filings, audits, internal controls and CFO advisory for your Indian entity.
Explore ProLead → Employer of RecordHire in India before your entity is ready
Start with a team on our payroll while incorporation completes.
EOR in India → startbusinessinsingapore.comExpanding the other way?
Indian and regional groups entering Singapore, from the same team.
Set up in Singapore →Who you'll work with
One qualified team, from first filing to first audit.
Assurance, market entry and corporate advisory. Has guided global businesses through Indian market entry.
Indian tax, GST, US GAAP and cross-border accounting for US-linked entities.
Public accounting, tax advisory and compliance for mid-market and corporate clients.
Questions we hear most
Setting up in India, answered.
Short answers first, so you can decide quickly what to ask us.
What is the best way for a foreign company to set up in India?
Can a foreign company own 100% of an Indian subsidiary?
How long does it take to set up an Indian subsidiary?
How many directors and shareholders does it need?
Do we need to be in India to incorporate?
What happens after incorporation?
Can we hire in India before the entity is ready?
Can ProLead run accounting and compliance afterwards?
Guides
Start with the questions everyone asks.
Subsidiary, branch or liaison office: which should you choose?
A side-by-side view of liability, tax, revenue rights and approvals.
Cost and timeline to set up an Indian subsidiary
Government fees, professional fees and where the weeks go.
FEMA filings after incorporation: what FC-GPR means for you
The reports due after your capital arrives, and their deadlines.
Talk to us
Tell us where you are expanding from.
Book a free consultation with a chartered accountant on our team. We will confirm the right route, the likely timeline and what to prepare. No commitment.
Prefer email? Write to info@prolead.services
Indian entrepreneur or founder, not a foreign company? See ProLead for Indian businesses
Not ready to book?
Get the Indian subsidiary set-up checklist, with the documents your parent company needs to prepare.