Register an OPC on the MCA portal through SPICe+, the same form a private limited uses: you are the only member and usually the sole director, you name a nominee who consents in Form INC-3 and becomes the member if you die or cannot act, and the name ends in (OPC) Private Limited. The member must be an Indian citizen who stayed in India at least 120 days in the previous year, a person can belong to only one OPC, and there is no minimum capital. The government cost is Rs 1,000 to reserve the name plus state stamp duty, with no MCA fee up to Rs 15 lakh of authorised capital. Since 1 April 2021 an OPC no longer has to convert when it grows, and you can convert it to a private limited whenever you choose. Pick an OPC if you are solo and want limited liability; skip it if you plan to raise equity soon, since investors need a private limited with more shareholders, or if your income is small, since a proprietorship is cheaper to run than a company that must be audited every year.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs' own FAQ on SPICe+, the single web form that incorporates a company. It lists the 11 services the form bundles and states the fees: zero filing fee for authorised capital up to Rs 15 lakh, Rs 1,000 for a separate name reservation, and state stamp duty.
Companies with authorised capital up to Rs 15 lakh pay zero filing fee and only state stamp duty.
One SPICe+ filing allots DIN, PAN, TAN, EPFO and ESIC numbers and opens the bank account; Professional Tax too in Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal.
Upload the DSC-signed PDFs within 15 days of the SRN and pay within 7 days, or the SRN is cancelled.
A March 2026 explainer of the One Person Company limits: OPCs used to be forced to convert once turnover passed Rs 2 crore or paid-up capital Rs 50 lakh, and the Companies (Incorporation) Second Amendment Rules, 2021 removed that compulsory conversion.
An August 2026 guide to forming an OPC through SPICe+: one member and a nominee (Form INC-3), the 120-day residency test, one OPC per person, no minimum capital, nil MCA fee up to Rs 15 lakh of capital plus Rs 1,000 for the name and state stamp duty, and voluntary conversion to a private limited at any time since 1 April 2021.
This walks the full SPICe+ (INC-32) flow the way you will actually do it on the MCA portal: DSC for each director, DIN folded into the same form, Part A name reservation, then Part B incorporation with e-MoA and e-AoA, PAN and TAN auto-generated. It is the practical checklist for the incorporate-right-before-you-raise moment, and it flags the roughly 10 working day timeline plus the CA/CS/advocate sign-off you cannot skip.
