Entering India is not one decision — it's fifty, in the right order. Entity form, FEMA approvals, tax structuring, registrations, banking, hiring, transfer pricing: each depends on the last. We've guided foreign companies through this sequence for years. One team, from landing to operating.
India entry advisory is the end-to-end guidance for foreign companies establishing in India: choosing the entity form (subsidiary, joint venture, branch, liaison), structuring the investment under FEMA (automatic vs approval route), tax-efficient holding and operating structures, and then the operational build — incorporation, registrations (PAN, TAN, GST, Shops & Establishment, PF/ESI), banking, and the ongoing compliance calendar.
The sequence matters enormously. Entity choice affects FEMA treatment; FEMA treatment affects tax; tax affects transfer pricing; and all of it affects what the operating company can actually do. Companies that treat these as separate workstreams — a lawyer for FEMA, a CA for tax, an agent for incorporation — get fragmentation. The integration is the service.
Foreign companies entering India for the first time — whether to sell, manufacture, source, or build a GCC. The questions start before incorporation (which entity? which route?) and continue for years (transfer pricing, profit repatriation, regulatory changes).
Companies that entered through a quick incorporation and are now discovering the gaps — FEMA filings missed, tax positions unconsidered, transfer pricing undocumented. Remediation is a significant part of our practice; the earlier we get involved, the less there is to remediate.
Funds and strategics acquiring Indian assets — where entry structuring determines exit taxation years later. The holding structure chosen today is the tax bill of the exit.
Entity form recommendation (WOS, JV, branch, LLP — each with different FEMA, tax, and liability implications), investment route analysis, holding-structure design for tax efficiency and exit flexibility. The strategy document that everything else executes.
FC-GPR filings, annual FLA returns, approval-route applications where needed, downstream investment compliance, and the ongoing FEMA calendar. Foreign investment in India is regulated investment — the filings aren't optional.
Company incorporation, PAN/TAN, GST, Import-Export Code, Shops & Establishment, PF/ESI — the full registration stack, sequenced correctly. Plus bank account opening support, which is its own adventure for foreign-owned entities.
Corporate tax positioning, withholding tax framework, DTAA analysis, and transfer pricing documentation from day one — because related-party transactions with the parent start immediately, and TP positions are set at inception, not defended later.
The full ROC, tax, FEMA, and labour-adjacent calendar, run as a managed service. The foreign parent gets reporting it can understand; the Indian entity stays compliant without the parent having to learn Indian law.
Entry projects are fixed-fee, scoped to complexity — a straightforward WOS setup vs a regulated-sector JV with approval-route FEMA are different assignments. Ongoing compliance is a monthly retainer.
Timeline: 6–10 weeks for a standard subsidiary setup including registrations; approval-route cases and regulated sectors take longer. Tax and TP structuring runs parallel, not sequential.
The fast incorporation that locks in the wrong entity form, misses FEMA filings, and sets tax positions by default. Unwinding a bad entry structure costs multiples of planning it right. Strategy before incorporation — always.
Parent-subsidiary transactions start on day one; TP documentation built three years later, under scrutiny, is reconstruction. Set the policy at inception.
Using a liaison office for activities beyond its permitted scope. LOs can't do business; the line is bright and the consequences of crossing it are severe. If you need to operate, incorporate properly.
Entry form, route, structure, tax — the complete design, documented.
Incorporation, registrations, banking, FEMA filings. The entity, operational.
Tax positions, TP documentation, intercompany agreements. The framework.
Ongoing compliance, reporting to parent, continuous advisory. The long game.
Depends on control needs, liability, FEMA treatment, and tax. WOS subsidiaries suit most; JVs suit regulated sectors or local-partner needs; branches are narrow. We recommend on your facts.
Most sectors allow 100% FDI under the automatic route (no prior approval, but filings required). Some sectors need government approval. We map your sector precisely.
6–10 weeks for standard cases. Approval routes and regulated sectors extend it.
Dividends (with withholding), royalties, service fees — each with tax and FEMA implications. The repatriation strategy is designed at entry, not at exit.
Yes — parent-subsidiary transactions begin immediately. TP policy at inception; documentation as thresholds trigger.
That's the model — the entry team becomes the compliance team. Continuity is the value.
Yes — with DIN, and at least one resident director on the board. The resident director requirement is non-negotiable.
You need a registered office address — a professional firm's address works initially. Virtual offices suffice for registration; substance requirements grow with the business.
Through an Employer of Record or secondment — hiring directly before incorporation creates compliance exposure. We bridge the gap.
Treating India as an administrative extension of HQ — no local compliance calendar, no FEMA discipline, intercompany transactions without a TP policy. The first year sets the pattern.
Talk to a partner about your situation — no pitch, no obligation. If we're not the right firm for it, we'll tell you that too.
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