Chartered Accountant · ICAI M.No. 153926 · FRN 136869W
Eligible entity types
DPIIT recognition is open to a Private Limited company (including a One Person Company), a Limited Liability Partnership, or a registered partnership firm. A sole proprietorship does not qualify. So an LLP is firmly within scope.
Same criteria apply
An LLP must meet the same tests as any other applicant: under 10 years old, turnover under ₹100 crore, working on something innovative or scalable, and not formed by splitting an existing business. Meet these and recognition is straightforward.
One thing to weigh up
A recognised LLP can apply for the 80-IAC tax holiday just like a company, and gets the same self-certification, IP fee rebate and public-tender benefits. But the entity choice still matters for fundraising: investors subscribe to priced equity shares, not LLP capital, and most venture term sheets and ESOP structures assume a Private Limited company. Example: a bootstrapped services or consulting startup that will not raise venture money may happily stay an LLP and still claim 80-IAC; a product startup expecting a seed round usually incorporates as — or later converts to — a Private Limited company before the raise. Converting an LLP to a company afterwards is possible but adds cost, time and tax considerations, so it is better to choose the structure with your funding plans already in view. The deciding question is usually simple: are you raising priced equity in the next year or two, or not? See Pvt Ltd vs LLP for a startup before you decide.