Chartered Accountant · ICAI M.No. 153926 · FRN 136869W
Common registrations
- Udyam/MSME
- GST (if applicable)
- Shops & Establishment licence
- Industry licence (e.g., FSSAI)
Why they matter
They give legitimacy, unlock MSME benefits, and are needed for a current account and many B2B clients.
How to sequence them
A sensible order saves effort. Start with Udyam (MSME) registration: it carries no fee, is instant, based on Aadhaar and PAN, and it’s the document most often accepted as proof of business existence. Add a Shops and Establishment registration under your state’s law, which most commercial activity needs and which banks like to see for a current account. Take GST registration when you cross the threshold or hit a compulsory trigger — not before, unless you want input credit or business clients require it. Layer on industry-specific licences as the activity demands: FSSAI for any food business, an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) for cross-border trade, a professional tax registration in states that levy it once you have employees, and PF/ESI once you cross the headcount. Each registration unlocks something specific — legitimacy, a current account, MSME benefits, the ability to bill with tax — so match them to your needs rather than collecting all of them. With the core two or three in place (Udyam, Shops, and GST if applicable), you can open the current account and start billing, adding the rest as the business grows into them.