Company Name Search: Check Company Name Availability

How does this company name availability check work?

A company name search here takes a few seconds. You type the name you want, and the tool does three things:

1. Cleans the name the way MCA does. It removes Private Limited, LLP, plurals, spaces, punctuation, word order, endings like .com or .in, and words like New, Modern, Shri, The or India.
2. Compares it with existing names. What is left is matched against company and LLP names from Government of India open data.
3. Checks restricted words. Each word is tested against the list of words that need approval or are not allowed.

You get one of three results:

Our records cover companies registered up to November 2023 from data.gov.in, plus every company and LLP in the monthly MCA lists we load after that.

Keep in mind: a green result is a good sign, not a promise. MCA also looks at trademarks, names reserved by others in the last few days and whether the name fits your business.

When does MCA treat two names as the same?

Rule 8 of the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014 says a proposed name must not be identical to an existing company or LLP name. It also lists the small changes that do not make a name different. If your name differs from an existing one only in one of these ways, MCA treats it as identical.

The tool handles all of these except spelling variations that sound the same, such as Kwik and Quick. Those you have to judge yourself, and the similar names list helps with that.

Which words need approval or are not allowed?

Some words suggest a link with the Government, a regulator or a protected name. MCA accepts them only with an approval or a no-objection letter, and some it refuses outright. The tool flags these words when you check a name.

What makes a good company name?

A name that gets approved on the first try usually has two parts: a distinctive word and a word that shows the business. "Tarang Logistics Private Limited" works.

"Logistics Services Private Limited" does not, because nothing in it belongs to you. The distinctive word can be a family name, a place that means something to you, or a coined word.

The business word should match the main object in your MOA. If you call the company "Tarang Pharma" but the objects say software development, MCA will ask you to explain or change the name.

Keep it simple too. Short names are easier to remember, to spell on the phone and to get as a .com or .in domain.

Five checks before you file

• The name passes this check with no identical match.
• No restricted word, unless you have the approval ready.
• At least one word is distinctive, not just Global, Solutions, Services or Enterprises.
• No registered trademark with the same or a similar name in your line of business.
• The domain name and social media handles are free, so the brand stays one name everywhere.

Why do company names get rejected?

From the applications we file, most rejections come from a short list of reasons. Knowing them saves the second fee and a week of waiting.

• Too close to an existing name. Usually a plural, an added "India" or a changed word order.
• Too general. Names made only of common words, such as "Indian Products" or "Super Traders".
• Trademark clash. The name matches a registered or applied trademark in a related class.
• Restricted word without approval. Words like Bank, Finance or National with no supporting document.
• Name does not fit the objects. The business word points to a different activity from the one in the application.
• Offensive or misleading. Names that hurt feelings or claim a status the company does not have.

How do I reserve a company name with MCA?

There are two ways. You can file RUN (Reserve Unique Name) on the MCA portal before incorporation.

It takes up to two proposed names and a fee of ₹1,000. Or you can propose the name in SPICe+ Part A, the incorporation form itself. Both allow one resubmission if MCA raises a query.

1. Check the name here and on the trademark registry.
2. Keep two options ready, in your order of preference.
3. File RUN or SPICe+ Part A with a short note on what each word means.
4. MCA usually replies in two to three working days.
5. Once approved, a name for a new company is held for 20 days. File the incorporation within that time.

For an LLP the process is the same idea through RUN-LLP, and the name must end with "LLP". To start the company after the name is approved, see our company registration service, or compare the structures in LLP vs private limited company.

Should I check the trademark too?

Yes. A company name and a trademark are two different things.

MCA approving your company name does not give you rights over the brand. Someone else can still register it as a trademark, and they can stop you from using it on your products.

The reverse also happens. MCA refuses a company name that matches someone else's registered or applied trademark.

Search the IP India public search with your distinctive word, in the class of your business. If the brand matters to you, file the trademark soon after the company name is approved. Our trademark registration page explains the classes and fees.

RUN or SPICe+ Part A: which one should I use?

Both reach the same desk at the Central Registration Centre (CRC), so the approval standard is the same. The difference is timing and convenience.

Our advice: if the documents of all directors are ready, go straight to SPICe+ Part A and save a step. If you are still collecting KYC or deciding on the office address, file RUN first so nobody else takes the name in the meantime.

How do I explain the meaning of a name to MCA?

Both forms have a field for the significance of each word. Most first-time applicants fill it in one line, and that is where many queries start.

The officer has to see that the name is not misleading and that it fits the business. A clear note answers those questions before they are asked.

• Say where the distinctive word comes from. "Tarang is a Sanskrit word for wave, chosen by the promoters" is better than "Coined word".
• Link the business word to the main object. "Logistics: the company will provide road freight and warehousing services."
• Mention family or personal names. If the name uses a surname, say whose it is. If it uses the name of a living person who is not a director, keep their written consent ready.
• Declare any trademark you own. If the brand is your registered trademark, give the number and attach the certificate. That turns a likely objection into a quick approval.

Hindi and regional words are fine, written in English letters. Explain the meaning in English. MCA does not accept a name only because the same idea is expressed in another language, so "Surya Power" and "Sun Power" can be treated as similar.

Name rules for an OPC, a Section 8 company and an LLP

One person company

An OPC follows the same identical-name rules as a private company. The words "One Person Company" must appear in brackets below the name wherever it is printed, which is why most OPC names end with "(OPC) Private Limited". When an OPC later converts into a private company with two or more members, the bracket is removed through the conversion forms.

Section 8 company

A Section 8 company works for charity, education, art, sport, science or similar objects and does not distribute profit. It does not have to use "Limited" or "Private Limited".

Its name normally ends with a word like Foundation, Forum, Association, Federation, Chambers, Confederation, Council or Electoral Trust. Those words are, in turn, kept for Section 8 companies, so a trading company cannot call itself "Sunrise Foundation Private Limited".

Limited liability partnership

An LLP name must end with "LLP" or "Limited Liability Partnership". It cannot be the same as an existing LLP or company name, and the same tests on plurals, spacing and filler words apply.

The name is reserved through RUN-LLP, or proposed in FiLLiP, the LLP incorporation form. Because companies and LLPs share one name register, "Kesar Foods LLP" is blocked if "Kesar Foods Private Limited" already exists, and the other way round. This tool checks both.

Ideas for a company name that gets approved

A practical way to build a name is to start from a word that is yours and then add what you do. Here are patterns that tend to clear MCA on the first try, with the kind of names that usually come back with a query.

Avoid the words that add nothing, such as Global, World, Universal or International, unless they carry real meaning for you. If you do use them, MCA can ask why the company calls itself International when it has one office in Ghaziabad.

Before you settle, say the name aloud on a phone call. If people ask you to spell it twice, customers will too.

Can I change my company name later?

Yes, but it takes more work than choosing well the first time. The company checks the new name and reserves it through RUN, where the approval is held for 60 days.

The shareholders pass a special resolution, filed in Form MGT-14. Then Form INC-24 is filed for the Central Government's approval. When it is approved, the RoC issues a fresh certificate of incorporation in Form INC-25 with the new name and the same CIN.

After that, every place the old name appears has to be updated: PAN, GST registration, bank accounts, licences, letterheads, the website and invoices. For two years after the change, the name board and documents also have to show the former name. A company that has not filed its annual returns or deposits that are overdue may not get the change approved until it catches up.

What documents might MCA ask for with the name?

Most names need nothing more than the form. These are the cases where MCA asks for a document, and what to keep ready.

• Your own trademark in the name: the trademark certificate or the application receipt, in the name of a director or promoter.
• Someone else's trademark or company name: a no-objection letter from the owner, signed, with a board resolution if the owner is a company.
• Group company with the same main word: a no-objection letter from the existing group company, approved by its board.
• Regulated words like Bank, Insurance or Nidhi: the approval or in-principle letter from RBI, IRDAI or SEBI, as the case may be.
• A living person's name who is not a promoter: that person's written consent.

Common mistakes that cost a second application

These come up again and again in the applications that reach us after a rejection. Each one is easy to avoid at the checking stage.

1. Only checking the exact spelling. The applicant searched "Sunrise Exports" and found nothing, but "Sun Rise Export" was already registered. This tool ignores spaces and plurals for that reason.
2. Two options that are really one. Proposing "Vertex Labs" and "Vertex Lab" wastes the second choice. Make the backup a genuinely different name.
3. Choosing the brand after printing. Logos, domains and visiting cards ordered before the approval end up in the bin when the name is refused.
4. Leaving the meaning field thin. One word like "Coined" invites a query, and a query costs the only resubmission.
5. Ignoring the business word. Calling a consulting firm "Something Infra" leads to questions about construction objects that do not exist.

How do I check a company name on the MCA portal myself?

It is worth a second look on the official site before you file, especially for names close to well-known brands. The MCA portal lets anyone search the register without a login.

1. Open the MCA website and go to MCA Services, then Master Data.
2. Choose View Company or LLP Master Data and search by name instead of CIN.
3. Type only the distinctive word, for example "Zentrovia", not the full name. A short search shows every company and LLP that uses the word.
4. Read the list for names that would differ from yours only by the small changes in the Rule 8 table above.
5. Repeat with any spelling that sounds the same, such as "Zentrovya".

For the trademark side, open the IP India public search, choose Wordmark, set the match to "Contains", enter the distinctive word and pick the class of your business. Marks marked Registered, Objected or Advertised all count, because an application that is still pending can block your company name too.

Company name, trademark and domain: what does each protect?

People often treat these as one thing. They are three separate records, held by three different bodies, and each protects something different.

Safe order: check all three, reserve the company name, then file the trademark and buy the domain on the same day. A name that is free on all three is rare, so having it on all three is worth the small effort.

Can two companies have the same name in different states?

No. The company register is national.

A name registered by a company in Chennai blocks the same name for a new company in Ghaziabad, even though they deal with different Registrars of Companies. The state shown in the CIN only tells you where the company was registered. It does not create a separate pool of names.

A business that is not a company, such as a sole proprietorship or a partnership firm, does not appear in the MCA register at all. Its trade name can still be protected by a trademark, which is one more reason to check the trademark register before you finalise.

Can an Indian subsidiary use the foreign parent's name?

Yes, and it is common. "Acme Solutions India Private Limited" for a subsidiary of Acme Solutions Inc. is accepted when the parent gives a board resolution or a no-objection letter allowing the use of its name.

The words "India Private Limited" are expected in such names. Without the parent's consent the name is treated like any other that resembles an existing brand, and it is usually refused.

What happens if the 20 days pass before I incorporate?

The reserved name lapses and anyone can apply for it. The fee paid for the reservation is not returned.

You would have to file RUN again, with no promise of the same result if someone else has applied in between. Plan the documents before you reserve the name, or use SPICe+ Part A, where the name and the incorporation move together.

Is a one-word company name allowed?

Yes, if the word is distinctive. "Zentrovia Private Limited" can be approved because the coined word is unique.

A single common word, such as "Logistics Private Limited" or "Software Private Limited", is refused because it is too general and would stop everyone else in that trade from using an ordinary word. Single-word names also face more trademark clashes, so check the trademark register with extra care. If the one word is a surname, MCA may ask for a second word that shows the business.

How much does it cost to reserve a company name?

The government fee for RUN is ₹1,000 for up to two names in one application. There is no extra fee for the one resubmission allowed in the same application.

If both names are rejected and you file a fresh RUN, the fee is paid again. When the name is proposed in SPICe+ Part A, it moves together with the incorporation application. If you use a professional, the service fee is on top, and ours is told upfront before we file.

What does this check not cover?

Being clear about the limits helps you decide what to check yourself.

• Names reserved through RUN by others in the last few days. These are not in any public list until the company is registered.
• Companies registered after our latest monthly load. The date of the data is shown on the company search page.
• Trademarks. Check them on the IP India public search.
• Names that sound alike but are spelt differently, such as Kwik and Quick.
• The judgement of the officer at the Central Registration Centre, who can still refuse a name that looks fine on paper.

If you want certainty before you spend the RUN fee, our team can check the name the way an MCA officer does and suggest two backups in the same call.