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Approval, ROC registration, PAN, TAN and a bank account for the project office of your foreign company, handled by Chartered Accountants and Company Secretaries.
150+ Regular Clients · Chartered Accountants and Company Secretaries · Since 2016
A foreign company that has secured a contract from an Indian company can set up a project office in India under general permission through an authorised dealer bank, if the project has its clearances and meets a funding condition. It files Form FNC, then Form FC-1 with the Registrar of Companies within 30 days, and obtains PAN and TAN. Applicants from Sri Lanka need prior RBI approval. AU Corporate, a New Delhi firm of Chartered Accountants and Company Secretaries serving foreign companies since 2016, handles the full process.
Written and reviewed by Abhishek Jaiin, Chartered Accountant (ICAI Membership No. 544646) · Last reviewed: 9 October 2026
A project office is the foreign company itself executing one Indian contract, so it needs RBI/AD-bank approval, ROC registration and ongoing filings, but no separate Indian company.
AU Corporate handles the application, the approvals and the registrations from India. You review and sign the documents from your own country.
The main differences a foreign contractor looks at before choosing a structure.
| Point | Project Office | Branch Office | Liaison Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Execute one contract awarded by an Indian company | Carry on the parent's permitted business | Represent the parent; no commercial activity |
| Duration | For the project only | No fixed end | Approved period |
| Approval | General permission via AD bank if conditions are met; otherwise RBI | FEMA approval; net-worth and track-record tests apply | AD bank or RBI |
| Can earn income | Yes, from the project | Yes, from permitted activities | No |
| Income tax | Foreign company rate on project profits | Foreign company rate | Not taxed on income, as it earns none, but still files returns |
| Main filings | FNC, AAC, ROC FC-1, FC-3, FC-4 | FNC, AAC, ROC FC-1, FC-3, FC-4 | FNC, AAC, ROC |
A project office suits a foreign company with one awarded Indian contract.
The conditions a project office has to meet under general permission.
The foreign company has secured a contract from an Indian company to execute the project.
The project has the regulatory clearances it needs.
The project is funded directly by inward remittance from abroad.
The project is funded by a bilateral or multilateral international financing agency.
The Indian company awarding the contract has a term loan from a public financial institution or bank for the project.
Six items from the foreign company. We send a document checklist tailored to your country.
The contract or award letter from the Indian company.
Proof of the funding condition the project meets.
Certificate of incorporation and constitutional documents, notarised and apostilled.
Approving the project office and an authorised signatory.
Audited financial statements of the foreign company.
Project site or office address in India, and an authorised representative.
Indian filings are prepared while your documents are notarised. Project office setup under general permission typically takes about 3 to 6 weeks, and longer if RBI approval is needed.
Check the contract, funding and clearances to decide AD bank or RBI.
Prepare the application and the document set.
File with the AD bank, or the RBI where needed.
File Form FC-1 within 30 days and obtain PAN and TAN.
Open the project office account and receive the first remittance.
A fixed fee, confirmed in writing before work starts.
Not included: government fees, notary and apostille costs in your country, courier costs, and ongoing compliance after registration, which is available as a separate service — see Project Office FEMA and RBI Compliance.
Your project office accounts, tax returns, RBI filings and ROC forms must agree with each other. The same team handles each of them.
Straight answers to the questions foreign finance teams ask most about a project office in India.
Written and reviewed by Abhishek Jaiin, Chartered Accountant (ICAI Membership No. 544646) · Last reviewed: 9 October 2026
This is general guidance based on Indian law and practice as at the date above. It is not advice for your specific case, and rules can change.
Tell us where your head office is, what the project office will do in India, and how many people it will employ — our team will confirm the route, eligibility, and a fixed written quote.