Branch, Liaison or Project Office of a Foreign Company
A foreign company’s presence in India without incorporating a subsidiary.
A foreign company can operate in India as a branch office (trading, services), a liaison office (representation only, no income) or a project office (one specific contract). Each needs RBI approval routed through an authorised-dealer bank under FEMA, then registration with the Registrar of Companies within 30 days of setting up. The route chosen decides what the office may do and how it is taxed.
What is included
- Route assessment — branch, liaison or project
- Form FNC application through the AD bank to RBI
- ROC registration (Form FC-1)
- PAN, TAN and bank account coordination
- First-year filing calendar — FC-3, FC-4 and the annual activity certificate to RBI
What we will need from you
- Parent’s certificate of incorporation and charter documents, notarised and apostilled
- Parent’s audited accounts for the last three years (five for a branch)
- Board resolution of the parent
- Details of the proposed Indian office and its authorised representative
- Banker’s report on the parent
How long it takes
Typically 8–12 weeks, most of it RBI and bank processing.
Common questions
Which is quicker, a subsidiary or a branch?
A subsidiary. It is an Indian company and needs no RBI approval in most sectors. A branch is chosen when the parent wants to contract in its own name.
Can a liaison office earn revenue?
No. It may only represent the parent and promote its business; a liaison office that invoices customers breaches its RBI permission.