I'm just starting out, should I register as a proprietorship, LLP, or private limited company?
The short answer
For a solo maker testing demand with no funding plans, a proprietorship (just a current account + GST) is the fastest way to start billing legally, you can always convert later. The moment you want a payment gateway in a company's name, plan to raise from angels/VCs, or bring on a co-founder, move to a Private Limited Company since it's the only structure that can issue equity shares; an LLP sits in between with lighter compliance but you can't easily raise a priced equity round in one. Most D2C brands that scale past a few crore in revenue end up Pvt Ltd anyway, so if you're even 60% sure you'll raise money, just start there and save yourself a conversion later.
A quick summary to orient you. The real value is below: the resources worth your time, from people who've actually done it, not us.
Here are the resources
Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time. India-specific ones carry a badge.
Why we picked it
A screen-recorded walkthrough of the actual MCA/SPICe+ filing screens, helpful the first time you sit down to do this yourself rather than hand it to a CA blind.
Why we picked it
A clean side-by-side that goes past the textbook comparison to the practical trigger, if you plan to raise equity or need a payment gateway's company-only KYC, this spells out exactly why LLP won't work.
Why we picked it
Widens the comparison beyond the usual two-way LLP-vs-Pvt-Ltd debate to include where a Public Limited or OPC might fit, useful once your team or cap table gets more complex.
Why we picked it
The rare guide written specifically for D2C founders rather than generic startups, it walks through incorporation, GST, trademark and product licenses as one connected checklist instead of siloed topics.
