Connect with us 
Do you run a business in Russia and want to start a company in India?
Most people think cost is the first thing to worry about. But the real first question is simple: which documents do we need? The answer depends on the type of company you choose. Each type — such as a subsidiary, an LLP, or a liaison office — has its own set of documents. If you pick the wrong type, you can waste weeks fixing forms and translations. If you pick the right one, the process is smooth.
This guide makes it easy. First, we list the basic documents every Russian business needs. Then we explain the six types of companies you can open in India — subsidiary, joint venture, LLP, liaison office, branch office and project office — and the exact documents for each. We also point out the two steps that confuse most Russian founders: translating documents into English, and getting them notarised and apostilled the right way.
Common Documents Your Russian Company Needs in India
The documents change a little depending on the type of company you choose, but a few are needed in almost every case. This is where most Russian teams start their checklist:
- Passport of every director and individual shareholder — the ID that foreign nationals must provide.
- Recent address proof, dated within the last two months — a bank statement, utility bill or similar.
- A passport-size photo, an email ID and a mobile number for verification on the MCA portal.
- A Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for each person who signs, obtained in India.
- An Indian office address — the lease, a fresh utility bill and a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the property owner.
Two steps your team should plan for early:
- Translation into English. Any document issued in Russian must be translated into English and the translation certified, because the authorities and the MCA portal do not work in Russian. Building this in from the start keeps your timeline predictable.
- Notarisation and apostille. Anything signed or issued in Russia is first notarised, then given an apostille. India and Russia have both signed the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961, so you do not need any attestation from an Indian embassy — the apostille alone is accepted. This is a real saving in time and cost for Russian companies; allow one to three weeks, as it is where most delays happen.
Types of Companies UK Businesses Can Set Up in India and the Documents Required
India offers six main structures. Each suits a different goal, so match the route to what your company wants to achieve, then prepare its documents.
1. Wholly Owned Subsidiary (Private Limited Company)
Best when you want full control and a real trading business in India. Your Russian firm owns 100% of an Indian private limited company — its own legal entity that can sell, hire and invoice Indian customers, with your liability limited to what you invest. Most sectors allow this on the automatic route. You will need:
- The Russian parent’s Certificate of Incorporation — translated and apostilled.
- The parent’s charter papers (its Memorandum and Articles or the local equivalent) — translated and apostilled, so ownership is clear.
- A board resolution that approves the investment and names the signatory — apostilled.
- A power of attorney for that signatory if the paperwork will be signed in India.
- Evidence of the Russian registered office, such as a recent bank statement or utility bill.
- Form DIR-2 (consent to act as a director) and Form INC-9 (a declaration) from everyone.
- The PAN and ID of one director who lives in India — a person present at least 182 days a year under section 149(3). A private limited company must have at least two directors and two shareholders.
Everything goes in through the SPICe+ form on the MCA V3 portal, bundled with e-MoA (INC-33), e-AoA (INC-34) and AGILE-PRO-S (INC-35) — one filing that also gives you PAN, TAN, GST, EPFO and ESIC registration, so your company is ready to operate quickly.
2. Joint Venture Company
Best when a sector limits foreign ownership, or when a local partner speeds your entry. A partner brings market knowledge, contacts and distribution. You need everything on the subsidiary list, plus:
- A joint venture or shareholders’ agreement setting out ownership shares, board seats, protected decisions and how partners can exit.
- ID and address proof for your Indian partner.
- A check on the sector’s FDI limit before any drafting begins.
3. Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
Best for a lean services or consultancy practice. An LLP is simpler and cheaper to run and protects the partners’ personal assets, though issuing shares later is not straightforward — so it suits firms not planning to raise equity. You will need:
- Passport and address proof for every designated partner — translated and apostilled.
- If the Russian company itself is a partner, its incorporation and charter papers — translated and apostilled.
- A board resolution naming who represents the Russian partner.
- Form 9 consent and the Designated Partner Identification Numbers.
- Proof of the registered office and the owner’s NOC.
- The LLP agreement, lodged in Form 3 within 30 days.
4. Liaison Office
Best when you want to test the market before committing. It can promote your brand, build contacts and gather market intelligence — ideal for a research or business-development phase — but it cannot earn in India and runs on funds sent from Russia. You will need:
- The Russian Certificate of Incorporation and charter papers — translated and apostilled.
- A profit-making track record in each of the immediately preceding three financial years in Russia, and a net worth of at least USD 50,000, certified by your auditor.
- A board resolution approving the Indian office.
- A reference letter from your Russian bank.
- Form FNC to the RBI via your bank, followed by Form FC-1 with the Registrar within 30 days.
- A power of attorney for the person who will represent you in India.
5. Branch Office
Best when you want to trade in India but stay one legal entity with Russia. A branch can import, export, do research and offer professional services, and profits can be sent home to Russia after tax. You will need:
- The Russian Certificate of Incorporation and charter papers — translated and apostilled.
- A profit-making track record in each of the immediately preceding five financial years in Russia — two more than a liaison office — and a net worth of at least USD 100,000, certified by your auditor.
- A board resolution, together with a note of the activities you intend to run.
- Form FNC to the RBI via your bank, then Form FC-1 with the Registrar.
- A power of attorney for your Indian representative.
6. Project Office
Best for delivering one specific Indian contract — often construction or infrastructure. It is temporary and closes when the job is done, so you carry no long-term overhead. You will need:
- The signed contract with your Indian client.
- Evidence that the work is funded by an inward remittance or by a bilateral or multilateral agency.
- The Russian company’s incorporation papers — translated and apostilled.
- Form FC-1 with the Registrar of Companies.
- A separate set of account books. The office shuts once the project is finished.
What your company must file after registration?
For a subsidiary, joint venture or LLP, the money you bring in must be reported to the Reserve Bank of India on the FIRMS portal using Form FC-GPR, within 30 days of shares being allotted. Keep the Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate (FIRC), the bank’s KYC report on the Russian investor and a valuation certificate ready. Form PAS-3 then goes to the MCA within 30 days — 15 for a private placement — and a Foreign Liabilities and Assets (FLA) return follows each year. Staying on top of these keeps your Indian operation fully compliant and protects future remittances back to Russia.
Conclusion
For a Russian company, India is a large opportunity with a genuinely smooth entry path — no prior approval in most sectors, an apostille route instead of embassy attestation, and lower operating costs once you are running. Decide the structure that matches your goal first, then build the document list around it. Translate your Russian papers into certified English, complete the notarisation and apostille cleanly the first time, secure an Indian office address early, and choose your resident director. Do that, and registration itself is usually the easy part.
How can Mercurius help Russian businesses setting up in India?
At Mercurius, we help Russian businesses set up and run their companies in India. We confirm the structure that suits your plans, tell you the exact translation and notary wording to use, draft the board resolution and power of attorney in the form Indian authorities expect, and file your incorporation documents under professional certification.
Once you are incorporated, we handle the FC-GPR and PAS-3 filings, along with accounting, audit, tax and payroll — leaving your team free to focus on growing the business in India.
For more information, contact our professionals at https://masllp.com/contact-us/ or book a free consultation with us.
Quick Connect
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which type of company should a Russian business set up in India?
For most Russian businesses that want to trade, hire and invoice locally, a wholly owned subsidiary is the natural fit. A small services practice may prefer an LLP, a joint venture works where 100% foreign ownership is not allowed, and a liaison, branch or project office suits those who only need a presence rather than a full company.
Q2. Does a Russian investor need government approval to invest in India?
In most sectors, no. Russia has no land border with India, so the automatic route applies and you invest without prior approval, subject only to the usual sector-wise FDI limits.
Q3. Do Russian documents need to be apostilled for India?
Yes. Documents are notarised in Russia and then apostilled, and any Russian-language papers must also be translated into certified English before filing.
Q4. What documents are needed after the company is registered?
Form FC-GPR within 30 days of allotting shares, supported by the Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate (FIRC), the bank’s KYC report and a valuation certificate. Form PAS-3 comes next, and the Foreign Liabilities and Assets (FLA) return is filed once a year.
Q5. How long do the translation and apostille steps take?
Allow one to three weeks. Because India and Russia are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961, no Indian embassy attestation is needed — the apostille alone is accepted. This step is where most delays happen, so starting it early keeps your timeline predictable.
