Guides by topic
Business registration and licence guides
The registrations and licences Indian businesses most often ask about — trade, food, import-export, labour and state-level registrations — with the process and paperwork laid out for each.
Business Registrations
The MSME 45-Day Payment Rule: Who Actually Gets It, and How to Use It
The MSMED Act caps the agreed payment period at 45 days and charges a late buyer compound interest at three times the RBI bank rate. But the remedy runs to micro and small enterprises only — medium enterprises are outside the chapter, and trading registrations are expressly excluded. Here is exactly who qualifies and what a Facilitation Council reference involves.
Business Registrations
IEC Lifetime Validity: The Half-Truth That De-activates Your Code
An Importer-Exporter Code has permanent validity and no renewal application. Both true. What that framing leaves out is FTP paragraph 2.05(d), which requires an electronic update every April to June even in a no-change year, and 2.05(e), which says an IEC not updated shall be de-activated. Here is the obligation, the fee, and the recovery route.
Business Registrations
Import Export Code Registration Guide
Want to import or export from India? You need an IEC first. Here is what the Import Export Code is, how to get it, the annual update people forget, and what else you need to actually ship.
Business Registrations
Udyam Registration Benefits
Udyam (MSME) registration is free of government fee and quick — and the benefits are real. Here is what MSME recognition actually gets you, from cheaper credit to delayed-payment protection.
Business Registrations
FSSAI Registration Guide
Starting a food business? You need an FSSAI registration or licence first. Here is the process, the documents, the timeline and the tier that applies to you.
Business Registrations
FSSAI License Types: Basic Registration, State & Central Explained
Basic Registration, State Licence or Central Licence? Which FSSAI category applies depends on your turnover and activity. Here is how to tell, and what each one needs.
Business Registrations
MSME vs Udyam Registration: What's the Difference?
"MSME registration" and "Udyam registration" confuse a lot of founders. Here is the simple truth — they are now the same thing — and what replaced the old Udyog Aadhaar.
Business Registrations
Shop Act Registration Guide: Shops & Establishment, State by State
Almost every shop and office needs Shops & Establishment registration soon after starting — but the rules are state-specific. Here is what it is, why banks ask for it, and how to register.
Business Registrations
Professional Tax Registration Guide: PTEC, PTRC & States
Professional tax trips up many employers — it is a state tax, with two different registrations, levied in some states but not others. Here is PTEC vs PTRC, who needs what, and the deadlines.
Business Registrations
PF and ESI Registration Guide for Employers
PF and ESI are the two big employer registrations — with different thresholds, bodies and benefits. Here is when each kicks in, what you contribute, and the monthly compliance they bring.
Business Registrations
ISO Certification Guide: Standards, Process & Accreditation
ISO certification can boost credibility and win tenders — but only if it is real. Here is how to pick the right standard, what the process looks like, and why accreditation is the detail that matters.
Business Registrations
NGO 12A and 80G Registration Guide
For an NGO, 12A and 80G are the registrations that make it tax-exempt and fundable. Here is what each does, how the 12AB regime and renewals work, and the order to get them.