Which startup registrations are easy to mix up?
Incorporation, goods and services tax, Udyam, DPIIT recognition, and a trademark are five different filings. Completing one does not complete the others. A proprietorship cannot be recognised as a startup, and a public company cannot either.
No. Udyam is the MSME registration. DPIIT recognition is a separate application, and only for a private company, an LLP, or a registered partnership.
Which five filings get mixed?
| Filing | What it does |
|---|---|
| Certificate of incorporation | Creates the company. PAN and TAN come with SPICe+ |
| GST | Registers the taxable person. It is not automatic from the certificate |
| Udyam | The MSME registration. It does not include Startup India |
| DPIIT recognition | Recognises an eligible private company, LLP, or registered partnership |
| Trademark | Protects a brand in the classes applied for. It does not create the entity |
What the certificate leaves out is on the after-incorporation page. Udyam against Startup India is on the Udyam page.
Which entity can be recognised?
DPIIT recognition needs a private company, a limited liability partnership, or a registered partnership, within the age and turnover tests. Who qualifies is on the eligibility page. Forming a public company, or staying a proprietorship, and then applying, is refused because the entity is outside the definition.
What delays the company itself?
A wrong name, a subscriber who is missing, or a registered office that cannot be shown, delays the incorporation form. Those points are on the incorporation-mistakes page. They are not the same as mixing up GST and Udyam after the company exists.
Frequently asked questions
Four questions cover Udyam, GST, a trademark, and a public company.
Does Udyam include Startup India?
No. Udyam is the MSME registration. DPIIT recognition is a separate application, and only for a private company, an LLP, or a registered partnership.
Does the certificate register GST?
Only if GST was applied for inside SPICe+. Otherwise GST is its own registration, when the threshold or the activity requires it.
Does a trademark incorporate the business?
No. A trademark protects a brand in the classes that are applied for. It does not create a company.
Is a public company eligible for DPIIT?
No. Recognition is for a private company, a limited liability partnership, or a registered partnership. A public company and a proprietorship are outside it.
Sources
Who can be recognised as a startup, what the certificate does not include, and which mistakes delay incorporation are separate pages.