Curated Course

The Ultimate FREE India Startup Compliance & Licenses Checklist

Every registration, license & compliance an Indian startup needs before (and after) launch — incorporation, GST, MSME, DPIIT, labour, industry licenses, IP, contracts & annual filings. Official-portal-first, 100% free, hand-verified.

Every registration, license and compliance an Indian startup needs — before and after launch. Official government portal first, then a plain-English explainer for each. 100% free, every link hand-verified. Work top to bottom as a launch checklist, or jump to what you need.

What's inside: official govt portals (MCA, GST, Startup India, Udyam, IP India, EPFO, FSSAI, DGFT...), explainer guides (ClearTax, IndiaFilings, Razorpay) and walkthrough videos — grouped by stage and priority. 38 items · ~175 hand-checked free links.

⚠️ Rules, fees and forms change and vary by state — always confirm on the official portal and consult a CA/CS for your specific case. This is a curated starting map, not legal advice.
Free flagship: Legal & Regulatory Checklist for Startups — Startup India (Govt)

The Compliance Roadmap

TopicDayTimePriorityResources
Choosing a Business Structure (Pvt Ltd, LLP, OPC, Sole Prop)12 hr🔴 High📄 Types of Businesses — Startup India · 📄 9 Business Structures — Ahlawat · 📄 Pvt Ltd vs LLP vs OPC — Treelife · ▶️ Which Structure Is Right? — YouTube
Private Limited Company Registration (MCA / SPICe+)22 hr🔴 High▶️ SPICe+ All Forms — MCA · 📄 SPICe+ Web Form — ClearTax · 📄 Company Registration — ClearTax · ▶️ SPICe+ Part B Filing — YouTube
LLP Registration31 hr🟠 Medium📄 LLP e-Filing — MCA · 📄 LLP Registration — ClearTax · ▶️ Complete FiLLiP Form Filing — YouTube · ▶️ LLP Registration — Vakilsearch
One Person Company (OPC) Registration31 hr🟢 Low📄 OPC Registration — ClearTax · 📄 OPC Registration — IndiaFilings · ▶️ How to Register OPC — YouTube · ▶️ OPC Step-by-Step — YouTube
Sole Proprietorship & Partnership Setup41 hr🟠 Medium📄 Sole Proprietorship — ClearTax · 📄 Partnership Firm — Razorpay · ▶️ Proprietorship vs Partnership — YouTube · ▶️ Sole Prop — Vakilsearch
Digital Signature (DSC) & Director ID (DIN)51 hr🟠 Medium📄 Get a DSC — ClearTax · 📄 Register DSC on MCA — ClearTax · 📄 DSC vs DIN — BankBazaar · ▶️ Apply for DIN & DSC — YouTube
PAN & TAN for Your Business61 hr🔴 High📄 Apply for PAN — Income Tax Dept · 📄 TAN for TDS — Income Tax Dept · 📄 How to Get TAN — ClearTax · ▶️ Apply TAN Online — YouTube
GST Registration72 hr🔴 High📄 New Registration — GST Portal · 📄 Registration Manual — GST Portal · 📄 How to Register GST — ClearTax · ▶️ GST Registration Live Demo — YouTube
Opening a Business Current Account81 hr🔴 High📄 Documents Needed — ICICI Bank · 📄 Open Current Account — SBI · 📄 Step-by-Step Guide — LegalWiz · ▶️ Current Account Kaise Khole — YouTube
Udyam / MSME Registration (Free)91 hr🔴 High📄 Udyam Portal (Free) — Govt of India · 📄 New Registration Form — Udyam · 📄 Online Udyam Service — india.gov.in · ▶️ Udyam in 7 Min (Free) — YouTube
DPIIT Startup India Recognition101 hr🔴 High📄 Recognition Page — Startup India · 📄 Startup India Scheme — Startup India · 📄 DPIIT Benefits — IndiaFilings · ▶️ DPIIT in 60 Seconds — YouTube
Professional Tax Registration111 hr🟠 Medium📄 What Is Professional Tax — ClearTax · 📄 PTEC & PTRC Guide — Khatabook · 📄 State Compliance Guide — IndiaFilings · 📄 Online PT Registration — Tax2win
Shops & Establishment Registration121 hr🔴 High📄 S&E Registration — Govt of India · 📄 Labour Compliance Portal — labourcis.nic.in · 📄 S&E Registration — ClearTax · ▶️ Delhi S&E Registration — YouTube
EPF (Provident Fund) Registration131 hr🟠 Medium📄 EPF for Employers — EPFO · 📕 Online Registration Manual — EPFO · 📄 EPF Registration — ClearTax · ▶️ How to Apply for EPF — EPFO
ESIC Registration141 hr🟠 Medium📄 ESIC Official Portal — Govt of India · 📄 ESIC Registration — ClearTax · 📄 ESIC Registration — IndiaFilings · ▶️ EPF & ESIC Registration Live — YouTube
Labour Laws & POSH Compliance151 hr🟠 Medium📄 POSH Act — ISTM (Govt) · 📄 Debunking POSH Myths — SHRM · 📄 POSH Act Overview — Wikipedia · ▶️ ICC Training under POSH — YouTube
Employment Contracts & Offer Letters161 hr🟠 Medium📄 Contract Labour Act — Govt of India · 📄 11 Must-Have Clauses — Omnivoo · 📄 Essentials of an Agreement — Samisti Legal · 📄 How to Write Offer Letters — Rippling
FSSAI Food Business License171 hr🟠 Medium📄 Apply for License — FoSCoS (FSSAI) · 📄 FSSAI Registration — ClearTax · 📄 FoSCoS FSSAI Guide — Online Legal India · ▶️ FSSAI License 2026 — YouTube
Import Export Code (IEC)181 hr🟠 Medium📄 IEC Profile Management — DGFT · 📄 Import Export Code — ClearTax · 📄 IEC Registration 2026 — Razorpay · ▶️ Apply IEC Online — DGFT
Trade License (Municipal)191 hr🟠 Medium📄 Trade License Service — National Portal · 📄 Trade License (KMC example) — KMC · 📄 Trade License Guide — ClearTax · ▶️ Apply Trade License Online — YouTube
Drug License & Health-Sector Licensing201 hr🟢 Low📄 ONDLS State Drugs Portal — CDSCO · 📄 Licence Procedures — Delhi Drugs Control · 📄 Drug License Guide — ClearTax · ▶️ Medical Store License — YouTube
Fintech & RBI / NBFC Compliance211 hr🟠 Medium📄 NBFC Forms & Returns — RBI · 📄 Fintech Licenses & PPI — EnKash · 📄 Digital Lending Rules — GenZCFO · ▶️ How to Register an NBFC — YouTube
E-commerce & Marketplace Compliance221 hr🟠 Medium📄 FDI Rules for E-commerce — ClearTax · 📄 E-Commerce Rules 2020 — Trilegal · 📄 Website & E-commerce Compliance — LegalWiz
Factory, Manufacturing & Pollution (CPCB)231 hr🟢 Low📄 Consent to Establish (CTE) — SPCB Guide · 📄 Consent to Operate (CTO) — SPCB Guide · ▶️ CTE & CTO NOC Explained — YouTube · 📄 CTE/CTO Under Environmental Laws — Agile
Sector-Specific Licenses Overview241 hr🟢 Low📄 Legal & Regulatory Checklist — Startup India · 📄 Licenses Required — IndiaFilings · 📄 Types of Business Licenses — Razorpay · 📄 Licenses & Permits — LegalWiz
Trademark Registration252 hr🔴 High📄 Trademark E-Filing — IP India · 📄 IP India Official Portal · ▶️ Trademark & Logo Registration 2026 — YouTube · 📄 5-Step Process Guide — Intepat
Copyright Registration261 hr🟠 Medium📄 Copyright Office Portal — Govt of India · 📄 IP India — Govt of India · 📄 Step-by-Step Copyright Guide — IndiaFilings · ▶️ Copyright Registration (Series) — YouTube
Patents & Design Registration271 hr🟢 Low📄 IP India — Govt of India · ▶️ Patent Registration Procedure — YouTube · ▶️ How to Register a Patent — YouTube · 📄 Patent Process Explained — iPleaders
Protecting Your Brand & IP281 hr🟠 Medium📄 Trademark E-Filing — IP India · 📄 Trademark Public Search — IP India · 📄 Trademark Guide — ClearTax · ▶️ Brand Registration Kaise Kare — YouTube
Founders' & Shareholders' Agreements292 hr🔴 High📄 Founders' Agreement India — EquityList · 📕 Founder Agreement Template — Razorpay Rize · ▶️ Co-Founder Agreement Explained — YouTube · 📕 Founders' Agreement Primer — Penn Law
NDAs & Vendor/Client Contracts301 hr🟠 Medium📕 NDA Template — Startup India (Govt) · 📄 NDAs in India Explained — Treelife · 📄 Mutual NDA Template — IndiaFilings · ▶️ NDAs Explained — YouTube
Website Legal (T&C, Privacy, Refund Policy)311 hr🟠 Medium📄 Payment Gateway Compliance — Razorpay · 📄 Privacy Policy Sample — Razorpay · 📄 Website & E-commerce Legal — LegalWiz · 📄 Terms of Service in Plain English — TLDRLegal
Data Protection & DPDP Act 2023 Basics321 hr🟠 Medium📄 DPDP Act 2023 — MeitY · 📕 DPDP Act Full Text (PDF) — MeitY · 📄 Decoding DPDP Act — EY India · ▶️ DPDP Act 2023: Basics — YouTube
Annual ROC / MCA Compliance332 hr🔴 High▶️ How to File AOC-4 — YouTube · 📄 ROC Compliance Calendar — ClearTax · 📄 Company Annual Filing — IndiaFilings · ▶️ MGT-7, AOC-4 & ADT-1 — YouTube
Income Tax Filing & TDS for Business342 hr🔴 High📄 TDS Guide — Income Tax Dept · 📄 TDS for Business — ClearTax · 📄 TDS for Business — LegalWiz · ▶️ Full TDS Guide for Beginners — YouTube
GST Returns & Filing351 hr🔴 High📄 File GSTR-3B Guide — GST Portal · 📄 GSTR-3B FAQs — GST Portal · 📄 GSTR-1 vs GSTR-3B — IndiaFilings · ▶️ GSTR-1 & 3B Filing Demo — YouTube
Compliance Calendar & Penalties361 hr🟠 Medium📄 Compliance Calendar 2025-26 — BDO · 📄 Tax Compliance Calendar — EZTax · 📄 ROC Calendar 25-26 — Ebizfiling · ▶️ New GST Return Due Dates — YouTube
Getting Investment-Ready (Cap Table & Due Diligence)372 hr🟠 Medium▶️ Cap Tables Founders Must Know — YouTube · 📄 What Is a Cap Table — Carta · 📄 Series A Diligence Checklist — Y Combinator · 📄 What Is a Cap Table — Razorpay Rize

Legend: 🔴 High (do early / mandatory for most) · 🟠 Medium · 🟢 Low (situational/industry-specific) · ▶️ Video · 📄 Article / Portal · 📕 PDF / Template · 🎓 Course


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