Corporate Identification Number or Company CIN No. in India

CIN No. which is unique in its kind helps revealing identity of a company, finding basic and essential information of its corporate entity. Hence CIN Number must refer to as and when a corporate entity needs to be identified. If you look at a business directory, CIN No plays an important role that guides you finding authenticity of that business entity.

CIN Number Sample Certificate

A sample Certificate of Incorporation showing CIN Number of a Private Limited Company is given above for reference. It has CIN number just after the title "Certificate of Incorporation" that contains 21 digits alpha-numeric CIN code / number. This sample format of CIN No. is applicable to all registration done by ROC in India under the classification of Private Limited Company (PLC). Other classifications, ROC in India incorporates are Financial Lease Company (FLC), Subsidiary of a Foreign Company (FTC), General Association Public (GAP), General Association Private (GAT), Companies owned by Govt. Of India (GOI), Not For Profits License Company or Section 8 Company (NPL), Public Limited Company (PLC), Companies owned by State Govt. (SGC), Public Limited Company with Unlimited Liability (ULL), Private Limited Company with Unlimited Liability (ULT), Nidhi Company, One Person Company (OPC), and Producer Company.

What is CIN Number?

The Corporate Identity Number or Company CIN No. is a 21 digits alpha-numeric code / number issued to every company incorporated in India when it gets registered by Registrar of Companies (ROC) located in various states of India. Company CIN No is unique, can be used to identify or track each of the company for various levels of information that holds with ROC / MCA. The Company CIN Number has its own meaning, easily translatable, helps finding the basic information of a company.

In an overview of CIN No, one can understand 4 important information. Look at the sample Certificate of Incorporation given above, Year of Incorporation (2002), State code (KL - Kerala), Type of Company (PTC - Private Limited) and Listing status (U - Unlisted) can be readable without any query seeks. If you want more about directors, status of the company etc. visit MCA site.

Company CIN No. / Company CIN Number Explained

If we look at more closer to the company CIN No. Code, we will have 21 digits alpha-numeric code with six parts:

Part-1: Stock Market Listing Status

First character reveals that whether the company is "Listed" in the stock market or "Unlisted". It refers to Stock Market listing status. If Company is Listed in the stock exchange, it will start with 'L' and if Company is not Listed it will start with ‘U’.

Part-2: Classification of Economic Activity

Next 5 numeric digits classify the economic activity of the company. The basis of classification is taken from the nature of economic activity to be carried out by the establishment. It is classified into:

Section > Division > Group > Class > Sub-class. MCA has their own categorization in this regard.

Part-3: State Code

Next 2 alphabets represent the state code of the registered office exists and which ROC has registered the company.

Part-4: Year of Incorporation

Next 4 numeric digits apparently shows the year of incorporation.

Part-5: Type of the Company

Next 3 alphabets reveals that what is the type of the company. ie., Public Limited Companly (PLC) or Private Limited Company (PTC) or etc.

Part-6: Company Registration Number

Last 6 numeric digits indicate the registration number. This registration number includes the code of ROC that company has been registered.

How to find primary details of a company registered in India, ie., CIN No., Date of Register, Directors, Capital etc.

Abbreviations used in the Company CIN No. Code and their meaning

1. FLC: Financial Lease Company as Public Limited
2. FTC: Subsidiary of a Foreign Company as Private Limited Company
3. GAP: General Association Public
4. GAT: General Association Private
5. GOI: Companies owned by Govt. Of India
6. NPL: Not For Profits License Company
7. PLC: Public Limited Company
8. PTC: Private Limited Company
9. SGC: Companies owned by State Govt.
10. ULL: Public Limited Company with Unlimited Liability
11. ULT: Private Limited Company with Unlimited Liability

Where to Use CIN No.?

As we have seen above, official documents such as, auditing and report to MCA must contain CIN number as a reference. Besides, company's letter heads, bills, memos, notices, official publications are to be printed CIN No. as a reference.

What is Company?

Company is registered organizational institution, setup by a person or group of persons to do business for profit or not-for-profit under the companies act, 1956. It constitutes aiming common goal called business in a unique, registered name by its members and directors. After incorporation and registration under the act, company become a legal entity that has rights & responsibilities defined by the law.

Registrar of Companies (ROC)

Registrar of Companies (ROC) is a Govt. institution functioning to incorporate and register companies under The Companies Act 1956 and its amendments made till date. It situates in the respective states and union territories in India. All Indian states are having at-least one ROC except in North Eastern States and Union Territories. The main objective of ROC is to ensuring companies comply with statutory requirements under the Act prior and after incorporation. Other major objectives of ROC are:

1. Change of name of companies
2. Conversion of companies from private to public or any other permitted conversions
3. Strike-off names of companies from the registration
4. Action against default of companies.