Explore / Company, law and compliance
Area 08 of 13
Company, law and compliance
Registering the company, GST, licences, contracts, IP and data protection, India first.
137 answers From Starting Up, D2C, and How Founders Use AI Searched most: company registration, ecommerce, trademarks
Starting Up67 answers
Incorporation & legal setup
37
- How do I get professional tax registration for my business?
- How do I register my company for PF with EPFO?
- What annual compliance does a private limited company in India have to file, and what does it cost?
- How do I get ESIC registration as an employer?
- How do I get MSME (Udyam) registration, and how do I find my Udyam number?
IP, licenses & regulatory
30
- How do I get a Shop and Establishment licence?
- How do I patent an idea or invention in India, and what does it cost?
- Where can I get an NDA template, and what should it say?
- How do I register copyright in India?
- How do I write a privacy policy for my website or app?
D2C57 answers
Registering your business
7
- How do I start an ecommerce business in India?
- I'm just starting out, should I register as a proprietorship, LLP, or private limited company?
- Once I've decided on Private Limited, what's the actual step-by-step to incorporate it?
- Is it worth applying for Startup India / DPIIT recognition, and what does it actually get me?
- I'm a solo founder with no co-founder, does an OPC (One Person Company) make more sense than an LLP?
GST registration & basics
6
- What's the actual step-by-step to register for GST myself, without paying a CA?
- Do I need a GST number before I make my very first sale, or can that wait?
- What documents do I need lined up before I start the GST application?
- I'm a small maker just starting out, does the GST composition scheme make sense for me?
- How long does GST registration actually take and what does it cost?
GST across states & e-commerce
8
- Do I actually need a GST registration to sell online, or can I start without one?
- A customer in another state ordered, do I charge IGST or CGST + SGST?
- Why is Amazon/Flipkart holding back a cut of my payout, what is this TCS?
- I store stock in a 3PL or Amazon FBA warehouse in another state, do I need a separate GST registration there?
- What HSN code and GST rate apply to my product, and where do I look it up?
Trademark & brand IP
6
- Should I trademark my brand name before I even launch, or can it wait till I have traction?
- How do I check if my brand name is already taken before I fall in love with it?
- What trademark class do I actually file under for my D2C brand, just one, or more?
- How much does trademark registration actually cost and how long does it take in India?
- What's the difference between the ™ I'm already using and getting an actual registered ®?
Product licenses & certifications
6
- I'm selling packaged food/snacks online, what FSSAI license do I need, and does my turnover matter?
- I make skincare/cosmetics at home or with a small manufacturer, do I need a CDSCO license before I can sell?
- I import or sell gadgets/electronics, what's this BIS CRS mark I keep hearing about?
- What exactly has to be on my product label/pack to be legally compliant under Legal Metrology?
- How do I even figure out which licenses apply to MY specific product, is there a single checklist?
EPR & sustainability compliance
6
- Do I actually need EPR registration for my D2C brand's plastic packaging, and what happens if I skip it?
- What's the actual step-by-step to register for EPR on the CPCB portal?
- What are the recycled-content and QR code traceability rules I need to hit in 2025-2026?
- Can I call my packaging 'eco-friendly' or 'sustainable' on my product page without getting into trouble?
- Where do I actually source compostable or plastic-free packaging in India without blowing my per-order cost?
Data privacy & the DPDP Act
6
- Do I actually need to worry about DPDP as a small D2C brand, or is this a big-company problem?
- What exactly counts as valid consent under DPDP for my checkout and signup forms?
- What do I need to put in my privacy policy, and how do I actually draft one?
- What tools should I use to get DPDP-compliant without hiring a lawyer for every step?
- What actually happens to my brand if I don't comply, what are the real penalties?
Business insurance & risk
6
- Do I actually need product liability insurance as a small D2C brand, or am I overthinking it?
- What does product liability insurance in India actually cost and cover?
- My marketplace is asking for liability insurance before I can keep selling, what do I actually need to show them?
- How do I insure my inventory against fire, theft, or damage sitting in a warehouse?
- What about goods lost or damaged in transit or shipping, is that covered separately from warehouse insurance?
Counterfeits & IP enforcement
6
- How do I get my brand onto Amazon Brand Registry and Project Zero to fight counterfeits?
- What's Flipkart's equivalent, and how do I actually report a fake or unauthorised listing there?
- Someone's hijacked my own product listing and is undercutting my price, what do I do?
- Do I need a trademark before I can even start protecting my brand, and how do I register one in India?
- My brand is being sold as fake on Instagram and WhatsApp, not just on marketplaces, what do I do?
How Founders Use AI13 answers
Legal & Contracts
13
- Which AI legal tools actually work for startups, and how do you choose?
- Why review contracts with AI before paying a lawyer?
- How do founders handle NDAs, ESOPs, term sheets, and compliance questions with AI?
- Where is AI legal help dangerous, what still needs a human lawyer?
- What prompts get reliable contract review out of ChatGPT or Claude?
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