Staying Compliant in India: the Calendar That Keeps You Safe
India rewards companies that file on time and is unforgiving to those that do not. Here is every recurring obligation a foreign-owned company faces — and how we make it one calendar instead of five.
FEMA and RBI: the foreign-investment filings
| Filing | Trigger | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| FC-GPR | Shares allotted to a foreign investor | Within 30 days of allotment |
| FC-TRS | Share transfer between a resident and a non-resident | Within 60 days of transfer or receipt of funds, whichever is earlier |
| FLA Return | Outstanding inward FDI or outward direct investment as at 31 March | 15 July every year (extensions announced on FLAIR) |
| ECB returns | Foreign borrowing (external commercial borrowings) | Monthly (Form ECB 2, within 7 working days of month end) |
Delayed reporting is normally regularised through RBI’s Late Submission Fee — ₹7,500 plus 0.025% of the amount involved per year of delay, capped at the amount itself — available for up to three years, after which compounding is the only route. These are still the filings we simply do not allow to slip.
Companies Act: board and ROC obligations
- Board meetings: at least four a year, no more than 120 days apart (first one within 30 days of incorporation).
- Annual general meeting within six months of the financial year end (year end is 31 March).
- Statutory audit by an Indian chartered accountant — mandatory for every company, regardless of size.
- Annual ROC filings: financial statements (AOC-4) within 30 days of the AGM and annual return (MGT-7) within 60 days.
- Director KYC every third financial year, by 30 June (triennial since the 31 December 2025 amendment); auditor appointments and registered-office changes filed as they occur.
Tax filings through the year
- GST returns — monthly or quarterly (GSTR-1, GSTR-3B) plus an annual return.
- TDS (withholding) returns — quarterly, covering salaries, vendor payments, rent and cross-border remittances.
- Advance tax — four instalments (June, September, December, March).
- Corporate income tax return — generally 31 October following the year end; 30 November where transfer pricing applies — the accountant's report (Form 3CEB) is due a month earlier, by 31 October.
Payroll and labour compliance
Payroll now runs under the four consolidated Labour Codes, in force since 21 November 2025: provident fund (EPF) applies at 20 or more employees, state insurance (ESI) at 10 or more, professional tax in many states (not all — Delhi levies none), plus shops and establishment registration, and gratuity and bonus obligations. The Codes’ common definition of wages raises contribution bases where allowances exceed half of total pay. Payroll in India is precise, deadline-driven work — which is why most of our international clients hand it to us entirely: payslips, remittances, filings and year-end certificates, done.
How we run it: one calendar, one owner
Every client gets a consolidated compliance calendar covering FEMA, ROC, GST, TDS, payroll and audit dates, monitored by a named manager and reviewed by a partner. You see status monthly; your board sees a clean annual record. When regulations change — as GST did in 2025 — the calendar changes before the deadline does.
Compliance handled means leadership attention freed.
Hand us the calendar and get on with building the business you came to India to build.
Send an enquiry
Ask for our India compliance calendar for foreign-owned companies, or hand us the calendar entirely.
Content on this site is general information, not professional advice. Regulations change; speak to us before acting.