Public Limited Company Registration — Requirements, Process and How It Differs from a Private Company

Quick answer: A public limited company needs at least seven members and three directors (with at least one resident in India), a name ending in "Limited", and is incorporated through SPICe+ with its MOA and AOA; the Companies Act sets no minimum paid-up capital. Unlike a private company, its shares are freely transferable, it can invite the public to subscribe through a prospectus and list on an exchange, and it has no cap on members. The price is heavier compliance: more board and committee requirements, a whole-time company secretary once paid-up capital reaches ₹10 crore, and tighter rules on directors, related-party transactions and disclosures. Many founders incorporate privately and convert to public later with a special resolution and Form INC-27.

Last verified 5 October 2026 — rules on this page checked against the current notifications. We update it the day a rule changes.

Public vs private at a glance

Process

1. Name approval in SPICe+ Part A; DSC and DIN for at least three directors (one resident in India)
2. MOA and AOA drafted for a public company; subscriber details of seven members; registered-office proof
3. SPICe+ Part B with the certificate of incorporation; PAN and TAN issue with it; stamp duty on MOA/AOA by state — see the state examples on our Section 8 page and Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Patna pages
4. Within 180 days of incorporation, INC-20A declaration of commencement and subscription of capital; then bank account, GST, auditor within 30 days of incorporation and the annual cycle in annual filing

When to choose it — and when not to

• Choose public when you expect to raise money from many investors, list on an SME platform or exchange, or the sector or a joint venture partner requires it
• Do not choose it just for prestige — a private company can be converted to public later (special resolution, altered articles, INC-27) when the need arises, and the compliance cost is real
• Compare the options in Pvt Ltd vs LLP vs OPC; foreign parents see Indian subsidiary

What we do

• Structure advice, MOA/AOA drafting, SPICe+ filing, board and statutory registers, auditor appointment
• Private-to-public conversion, listing-readiness gap analysis, secretarial compliance

Dates, forms and thresholds are quoted from the governing Act, rules and official portals; where a figure changes by notification or year, the page says so and we confirm it at filing rather than estimate.

Need it in writing? Founders, shareholders, NDA, employment, vendor, rent and lease agreements.

Changing the company? Registered office, name, MOA/AOA, PAS-3, SH-4 and LLP agreement — forms and time limits.

Director compliance: DIN, DSC and DIR-3 KYC — now once every three years.