How to Register a Company in India from Russia: Complete 2026 Guide

• Company formation / Compliances
• ||
• August 6, 2026

Russian businesses are looking at India seriously, and the numbers explain why. Trade between the two countries reached a record USD 68.69 billion in FY 2025-26, with both governments targeting USD 100 billion by 2030. Growth is no longer just oil and defence — engineering, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and technology are all expanding.

If you run a Russian company, you may expect months of paperwork and several trips to Delhi. Neither is true. Incorporation happens on a government portal, and you can complete it without leaving Russia. Here is how it works.

Types of Companies You Can Register in India From Russia

India offers Russian investors more than one way in, and the right choice depends on how much presence you want. Some structures create a brand-new Indian company that stands on its own; others simply extend your existing Russian business into the market. Each carries a different level of control, cost and compliance, so it is worth understanding all of them before you commit.

For most Russian investors the answer is a private limited company. It is a separate legal entity, so it signs its own contracts, hires its own staff and invoices Indian customers in its own name.

But if your goal is simply to trade in India without creating a separate company, a branch office may suit you better — it stays part of your Russian business, needs RBI approval, and can earn income directly in India.

Key Requirements for Russian Businesses to Open a Company in India

The requirements below apply across most structures — the private limited company, public limited company and LLP, as well as branch, liaison and project offices. Get these in place before you file, noting how each one differs by structure:

An India-resident director — For a company or LLP, one director or designated partner must have stayed in India for 182 days or more in the previous financial year. If nobody qualifies, you can appoint a nominee director. A branch, liaison or project office does not appoint directors, but needs prior RBI approval and an authorised representative in India.

Directors and shareholders — A private limited company needs at least 2 directors and 2 shareholders; a public limited company needs 3 directors and 7 shareholders; an LLP needs 2 designated partners. Your Russian parent can hold shares. Offices do not register directors or shareholders.

Digital Signature Certificate — Each signatory needs one before anything can be filed. This applies to every structure.

Director Identification Number — A permanent number for every director, generated through the incorporation form. An LLP uses a Designated Partner Identification Number (DPIN) instead.

A registered office in India — Owned, leased, co-working or virtual, with a rent agreement, utility bill and owner’s no-objection certificate. Every structure needs one.

Documents You Need from Russia to Register a Company in India

Once you have chosen your structure, the next step is gathering your documents from Russia. For company registration in India, you will usually need the following. Russia joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 1992 and India in 2005, so an apostille is enough — no Indian Embassy legalisation is needed.

• Certificate of incorporation and charter documents of the Russian company
• Board resolution approving the Indian investment and naming your signatory
• Power of attorney, if someone signs on your behalf in India
• Passport and address proof of each director and shareholder

Note: One step Russian applicants cannot skip — documents in Cyrillic need a certified English translation. Poor translations cause more rejections than anything else. Allow two to three weeks for notarisation, apostille and translation together.

Not sure which documents apply to your structure? Contact Mercurius and we will prepare a tailored checklist for you.

Step-by-Step: How to Register Your Company from Russia in India

Once your documents are ready, registration follows a clear, online sequence on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal. Here is each stage, step by step:

Step 1: Reserve your name — SPICe+ Part A. SPICe+ is the single web form the Ministry of Corporate Affairs uses for incorporation. Part A is only the name reservation stage: you submit two options, and the Registrar checks them against existing companies and trademarks. One to two days.

Step 2: Obtain DSC and DIN. The Digital Signature Certificate is your electronic signature for the portal — nothing can be filed without it. The Director Identification Number is a permanent number issued to each director; for new directors it is generated through the incorporation form itself. Three to four days.

Step 3: File SPICe+ Part B. This is the main application. It carries your company details, directors, shareholding pattern and capital structure, and is where the incorporation is actually applied for.

Step 4: Attach INC-33, INC-34 and INC-35. Three linked forms are filed alongside Part B:

• INC-33 (e-MoA) — your Memorandum of Association, stating what your company is legally allowed to do.
• INC-34 (e-AoA) — your Articles of Association, the internal rules on shares, directors and meetings.
• INC-35 (AGILE-PRO-S) — a single form that applies for PAN, TAN, GST, EPFO, ESIC and your bank account together, so you are not filing each separately.

Step 5: Registrar review. The Registrar of Companies examines the file and raises queries if anything is unclear. Answer promptly — unanswered queries are a common cause of delay. Three to seven working days.

Step 6: Certificate of Incorporation issued. You receive the certificate along with your Corporate Identification Number (CIN). Your company legally exists from this date.

Step 7: File INC-20A within 180 days. This is the declaration of commencement of business, confirming shareholders have actually paid in the subscribed capital. Until it is filed, your company exists but cannot legally trade.

With documents ready, allow 10 to 15 working days overall.

Want your incorporation handled from start to finish? Contact Mercurius today for a free consultation on registering your company in India.

Understanding FDI Rules for Russian Investors to Invest in India

Press Note 3 of 2020 requires government approval for investment from countries sharing a land border with India — China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Afghanistan. Russia is not on that list.

So Russian investment uses the automatic route in most sectors, with full ownership permitted and no application to the government. IT, most manufacturing, consulting and wholesale trading are open. Defence, telecom, print media and multi-brand retail still need approval, so confirm your sector early.

Handling Payments Between Russia and India

Sanctions made dollar settlement difficult, so the RBI created the Special Rupee Vostro Account (SRVA) framework in July 2022. A Russian bank holds a rupee account with an Indian bank, and trade is invoiced and settled directly in rupees, with no dollar involved.

Dozens of Russian banks already use these accounts, and since 2025 Indian banks no longer need prior RBI permission to open one. Raise it with your bank early, not once your capital is due.

After Registration: What Next For Russian Companies

• Report the investment to the RBI in Form FC-GPR on the FIRMS portal within 30 days of allotting shares.
• Activate your bank account and bring in the subscription capital.
• Register for GST once turnover crosses INR 40 lakh for goods or INR 20 lakh for services in most states.
• File annually, including the Foreign Liabilities and Assets return.

Profits can be sent back to Russia once taxes are paid and filings are current. The India-Russia Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement ensures the same income is not taxed twice.

How Can Mercurius Help?

At Mercurius, we help Russian businesses set up and run their companies in India. We advise which entity fits your plans, specify the wording your Russian notary should use, arrange certified translations, and file your incorporation under professional certification.

Afterwards, we handle FC-GPR and PAS-3 filings, accounting, audit, taxation and payroll, so you can focus on the business.

Conclusion

Registering a company in India from Russia is a documentation exercise, not a legal maze. Choose the right entity, prepare your Russian paperwork properly, arrange a resident director early, and agree your payment route with the bank. Registration itself is quick.

Ready to begin? Contact Mercurius today for a free consultation on setting up your business in India.

FAQs: Questions Russian Entrepreneurs Ask

1. Do I need to visit India to register?
No. Filing is entirely online and most Russian founders never travel during incorporation.

2. Can a Russian company own 100% of an Indian company?
Yes, in most sectors under the automatic route. Press Note 3 land border restrictions do not apply to Russia.

3. Do I need to travel to India to incorporate a company?
No. The incorporation process is completed online through the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal. Most documentation can be prepared and submitted remotely.

4. What documents are required to register a company in India from Russia?
You will generally need the Russian company’s incorporation documents, board resolution, passport and address proof of directors and shareholders, and certified English translations of documents originally in Cyrillic