In order to give ease to the corporate world to carry business within the country, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has been simplifying the procedures under the Companies Act, 1956. Accordingly, to enable promoters to get their companies incorporated online within 24 hours, the incorporation procedures are being modified.

Ministry has already implemented online approval of Director’s Identification Number (DIN) with effect from 12.06.2011 and names of the proposed company will also be made available online with effect from 24.07.2011. The digital certificate of incorporation is already being issued online by the Registrar of Companies.

Moreover, the procedures to approve incorporation applications forms online are also being simplified and are likely to be implemented with effect from 11th August, 2011.

In case the e-forms 1, 18, 32 and e-form for Memorandum of Association(MOA) and Articles of Association (AOA) have been certified by the practicing professional regarding the correctness of the information and declarations given by the subscribers, the application shall be processed electronically and the digital certificate of incorporation shall be issued immediately online by the Registrar of Companies.

The above facility is optional to the existing process of backend processing of applications by the Registrar of Companies where no such certifications have been done by the practicing professional.

If any of the information or declaration given by the company or certificate given by the professional in the e-forms and attachment(s) thereto is/are, found to be wrong, false or illegal then the subscribers, declarant(s) and professional(s) shall be liable for penal action under section 628 and 629 of the Companies Act, 1956 in addition to penal action prescribed in regulations of the respective professional institutes.

Where a company has been registered online on the basis of declarations made by the subscribers, declarant(s) and certifications by the professional(s) given in the e-form, if it is found later on that the company ought not to have been registered under provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 read with Rules and Regulations made therein, the Registrar of Companies shall take necessary action to put the company in state of suspended animation and initiate the process of revocation of the registration of the company after giving an opportunity of being heard. It is expected that the above immediate online approvals of DIN, availability of name and registration of e-forms-1, 18, 32 and MOA and AOA, the complete process of incorporation of a company can be completed within 24 hours.

Online company incorporation: immediate digital registration permitted where e-forms are professionally certified, subject to liability for false declarations. Online incorporation has been streamlined so the Registrar will issue a digital certificate of incorporation immediately when required e-forms and attachments (including MOA and AOA) are submitted electronically and certified by a practicing professional; the expedited route is optional and coexists with traditional backend processing.