India entry snapshot for UK Companys
Why UK companies choose India
India and the UK share a common law heritage. Indian corporate law, contract law, and courts are broadly familiar to UK-trained legal teams — lower adaptation curve than other jurisdictions.
India's professional class operates entirely in English. UK companies face no language barrier in legal, financial, or technical communication.
The India-UK DTAA provides favourable withholding tax rates on dividends (10–15%), interest (10–15%), and royalties (10–15%). Well-structured, UK companies pay significantly less than the 20% domestic WHT rate.
Indian accounting standards (Ind AS) are substantially converged with IFRS. UK group reporting is straightforward — minimal reconciliation required.
How UK Companys incorporate in India
We assess your sector, FDI route, and applicable DTAA to recommend the right entity type. For UK & Europe companies, this includes reviewing intercompany pricing implications from day one.
Parent company documents need apostilling or equivalent authentication in UK & Europe. For foreign director KYC, this adds 3–5 days. We advise on exactly which documents are needed.
SPICe+ filing — company name, directors, registered office, PAN, TAN, GSTIN. Certificate of Incorporation typically in 7–12 working days after document submission.
Foreign Currency Gross Provisional Return — mandatory FEMA filing after share allotment. For UK & Europe companies, the valuation methodology and exchange rate documentation must align with your home jurisdiction requirements.
Bank account, GST registration, TDS, payroll, transfer pricing policy, and compliance calendar. Full operational readiness.
Key tax points for UK Companys in India
India-UK DTAA: dividends at 10–15%, interest at 10–15%, royalties at 10–15%
UK CFC rules apply — India subsidiary income may be attributable to UK parent if structure is passive
Transfer pricing: UK HMRC's arm's length standard is equivalent to India's Section 92 — same documentation principles apply
FCA-regulated entities require additional care — PE risk must be assessed before any advisory activities in India
Post-Brexit: UK companies no longer benefit from EU parent-subsidiary directive — direct UK-India DTAA planning is essential
How it works in practice
London fintech set up a regulated India entity in 24 days
FCA-regulated company needed an India presence for their engineering and operations team. Zero tolerance for RBI or FEMA non-compliance — any notice would trigger FCA reporting obligations.
WOS incorporated, RBI FCGPR filed within 30 days, GST and TDS registration complete, compliance calendar aligned to UK group reporting cycle.
Zero RBI or FEMA notices in 2 years of operation. Clean records for the FCA-regulated parent.
Common questions from UK Companys
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