Public Limited Company Registration Cost in India (2026): What You Will Actually Pay

Last updated 26 September 2026

How much does public limited company registration cost in total?

The total cost of registering a public limited company is Shunya's professional fee (₹1,999) plus the MCA incorporation fee, state stamp duty and the digital signature certificates (DSCs) for your directors and subscribers. Everything except the professional fee is billed separately and depends on your authorised capital, your state and how many people sign.

Take Vikram, a textile trader in Surat, as an illustration. He plans a public limited company with six co-founders and family investors, so seven subscribers in all, and an authorised capital of ₹10 lakh. His bill has one line he can fix in advance, the professional fee, and three lines that depend on his own facts. This is an invented example, not a quote or a typical bill.

Registration is only half of the cost picture. A public company carries a heavier compliance load than a private one, so what it costs to stay registered matters as much as what it costs to start. Both are covered below.

All figures and rules in this guide are as of September 2026. They change from time to time, so your CA re-checks them on the day of filing.

What are the cost components of public limited company registration?

Public limited company registration has five cost components: the professional fee, the MCA incorporation fee, state stamp duty, DSCs, and in some routes a separate name-reservation fee. Only the first is fixed by the provider you choose.

Shunya's professional fee does not include the DSC issuer's charge, government fees, stamp duty or other third-party and statutory costs. Those are billed separately, and your CA walks you through them on your callback.

Does the MCA charge a fee to incorporate a public company?

MCA charges no incorporation fee when authorised capital is up to ₹15 lakh (as of September 2026), and the fee rises in slabs above that. Several filing sources agree on the ₹15 lakh line; older articles that mention ₹10 lakh are out of date.

Above ₹15 lakh, published slab amounts conflict, so this guide does not quote them. Ask your CA for the exact figure for your authorised capital instead of relying on a blog table. Do not borrow numbers from an OPC or small-company guide either: a public company is not eligible for the concessional slabs meant for those categories.

Authorised capital is the maximum share capital you are allowed to issue, not money you must bring in. There is no minimum paid-up capital for a public company, because the old ₹5 lakh requirement was removed in 2015. That leaves you free to set authorised capital by need. If you expect a large round soon, a higher figure now can save a later amendment. If not, keep it lean, since a higher authorised capital can raise both the MCA fee and the stamp duty.

You can test different capital levels in our company incorporation cost calculator before you decide.

How much is stamp duty on a public limited company's MOA and AOA?

Stamp duty on a public limited company's MOA and AOA is set by the state where the registered office is located, and it is calculated and paid inside the incorporation form. There is no physical stamp paper to buy.

Filing sources report that it ranges from a few hundred rupees to several thousand, depending on the state and the authorised capital. That spread is why "total cost" figures differ so much between websites: some include a typical duty, others leave it out. Treat any single number you see online as an approximation until your CA confirms it for your state.

For a state-level view of how duty and other costs differ, see our cost guides for Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi. Your CA confirms the duty for your state before you pay it.

What does a public company pay for after registration?

After registration, a public company pays for a statutory audit every year, at least four board meetings, an annual general meeting (AGM) and yearly ROC filings, and past prescribed size thresholds it also pays for extra governance roles. None of this is part of the registration fee, so budget for it from day one.

• Audit and filings: a statutory auditor every year, plus AOC-4 (financial statements) and MGT-7 (annual return) after the AGM.
• Board and AGM: at least four board meetings a year with no more than 120 days between two meetings. The relaxed schedule is only for one person, small and dormant companies.
• Director KYC: DIR-3 KYC is now due every third financial year, not every year.
• Past thresholds only: a whole-time company secretary and other key managerial personnel once paid-up capital reaches ₹10 crore; two independent directors if paid-up capital reaches ₹10 crore, turnover reaches ₹100 crore, or outstanding loans and deposits exceed ₹50 crore; audit and nomination committees on the same tests.

A young company below those thresholds does not need the extra roles. Our public limited company annual compliance guide lays out the full calendar.

Is a public limited company costlier than a private limited company?

The government cost of incorporating is similar for both, but a public limited company costs more in people and paperwork because it needs 3 directors and 7 members instead of 2 and 2. More people means more DSCs, more identity documents and a longer signing round.

The bigger difference is ongoing. A private company gets lighter meeting rules and no rotation of directors, while a public company faces stricter disclosure and governance. If you are not planning to raise money from the public, cross 200 shareholders or work toward a listing, a Private Limited company or an LLP is usually the lighter fit. See our comparison of public and private limited companies before you commit.

If your plan really does need public capital access, an eventual listing or a large shareholder base, the higher running cost is the price of that flexibility.

Can you register a public limited company yourself to save the fee?

Yes, you can file a public limited company yourself on the MCA portal, and the government fees and stamp duty are identical whether you file or a CA does. What you save is the professional fee; what you risk is a rejection and a re-filing loop.

Common causes of rejection include name or date-of-birth mismatches across PAN, Aadhaar and DIN, an address proof older than two months, a missing owner NOC and an objects clause that does not match the business activity code. When the Registrar rejects a filing, you get 15 days to correct and resubmit. A Public Limited MOA and AOA also differ from a private company's, since they drop the share-transfer restrictions and the 200-member cap.

With Shunya, a practising Chartered Accountant reviews every filing before it goes in. You can request a free callback (name and phone; a CA calls within the hour) or pay the professional fee online, and you can reach us on WhatsApp at +91 80809 18797.

What to ask any provider before you pay

• Which of the four cost components does your price include?
• Are stamp duty and DSCs billed at actual cost, and per person?
• Is the MOA and AOA drafted for a public company, not copied from a private template?
• Who handles Registrar queries after filing?

This article is for general information only. For your specific situation, consult a practicing CA.