From Singapore you can incorporate an Indian subsidiary or invest in an Indian company without visiting. Documents are notarised and apostilled through the Singapore Academy of Law. Foreign investment must be priced at or above fair value and reported to the Reserve Bank within thirty days of allotment, and one director must be resident in India.
- Document route
- Notary + SAL apostille, or High Commission
- Time difference
- 2.5 hours ahead of IST
- Handled in India at
- Registrar of Companies and RBI portal
- Travel to India
- None
How it works from Singapore
We settle the structure first: direct personal holding, Singapore holding company, or investment on a non-repatriation basis as an NRI. Each has different tax, reporting and exit consequences, and treaty benefits depend on substance in Singapore. Incorporation follows online.
For investments into existing companies we handle the valuation certificate, share subscription agreement, allotment and filing. Early-stage rounds often contain reporting lapses; we regularise these before a later financing or exit diligence finds them.
What is different for NRIs in Singapore
- Convertible notes and other instruments have specific rules.
- Downstream investment by the Indian company is also reportable.
- Mirror shareholder rights in the articles.
Step by step from Singapore
Free review call
Singapore is two and a half hours ahead, so calls are held from late morning onwards. We read your papers on an India entry first, so the call is about your options and not a repeat of the facts.
Authority from Singapore
Where a representative must act for you in India on an India entry, you sign before a Singapore notary public and obtain the Singapore Academy of Law apostille, or attend the High Commission of India. We draft the document and send signing instructions.
Work in India
In India, we reserve the name, file incorporation, obtain PAN, TAN and GST, open the bank account and report the foreign investment. Updates for clients in Singapore go by email and WhatsApp with scans of whatever is filed.
Result and handover
At the end you receive the incorporation set, statutory registers and a compliance calendar. Originals are couriered to your address in Singapore if you need them.
The law in full
This page covers what changes when you handle an India entry from Singapore. For the Indian law, the complete document checklist, common mistakes and more questions, read our main page on Business Setup in India. For other matters, see all legal services for NRIs in Singapore or the Business & Corporate practice area.
Questions from NRIs in Singapore
Can a Singapore company own 100 per cent of an Indian company?
In most sectors, under the automatic route.
Is a resident Indian director required?
Yes, at least one.
What if an earlier round was not reported?
It can be reported late and the contravention compounded.