A Corporate Identification Number, aka CIN, refers to a unique identification number granted by the RoC, i.e. Registrar of Companies, to the registered companies in India. The Registrar of Companies issues the CIN to the companies while conferring their registration certificate. The CIN serves a company’s identity, and it is mentioned in various forms to be furnished to the MCA, i.e. Ministry of Corporate Affairs, especially in reports and audits.
What is a Corporate Identification Number (CIN)?
Corporate Identification Number is a 21 digits alpha-numeric code granted to the entities incorporated within the nation registered by the ROC of the respective states under MCA.
CIN is generally granted to the following entities in India
- Private Limited Companies (PLCs)
- Companies owned by the Government of India
- One Person Companies (OPCs)
- Not-for-Profit Section 8 Company
- State Government Companies
- Nidhi Companies, etc.
But, CIN is not accessible to the business structure like LLP in India. The RoC issues the Limited Liability Partnership Identification Number (LLPIN) that serves as a unique 7-digit identification number for such companies.
Significance of Corporate Identification Number
CIN is used to monitor all aspects and activities of an entity from its incorporation by the Registrar of Companies and must be furnished on all the transactions with the respective ROC.
The 21 digit CIN helps determine the company’s basic information listed in the MCA’s database. As a unique number, the CIN can aid in locating or tracking registered entities’ information for various levels that MCA/RoC holds. The CIN entails the organization’s identity and additional details relating to the registered company under the ROC.
Example of CIN granted by the Registrar of Companies – L01631KA2010PTC096843
- The 21-digits CIN denotes and renders details about the incorporated company. The CIN can be broken into six different sections. One can decode the above CIN the following ways:
- The first letter, “L”, denotes that the company is listed. In the case of an unlisted company, the said letter is replaced by the letter U.
- The following five numeric digits depict the nature of the economic activities which the company would perform. The MCA has allotted a number of every industry or category.
- The subsequent two letters indicate the State in which the company is registered. For example, MH stands for Maharashtra, KA stands for Karnataka, and DL stands for Delhi.
- The following four numeric digits imply the years of incorporation of the company.
- Furthermore, the subsequent three letters reflect the company’s classification, such as private limited company, OPC, or public limited company. If the code encloses the term like FTC, it will imply that such a company operates as a subsidiary of any foreign company. Similarly, if the code encloses the term like GOI, it would denote that the Indian government owns such company.
- The remaining six digits imply the registration number granted by the RoC.
Common abbreviations used in the CIN number
Common abbreviations used in section-5 of the CIN include;
- FLC: Financial Lease Company as Public Limited
- GAP: General Association Public
- GAT: General Association Private
- FTC: Subsidiary of a Foreign Company as Private Limited Compan
- NPL: Not-for-Profit License Company (Section 8 Company)
- GOI: Companies owned by the Government of India
- OPC: One Person Company
- PTC: Private Limited Company
- PLC: Public Limited Company
- SGC: Companies owned by State Government
- ULT: Private Company with Unlimited Liability
- ULL: Public Limited Company with Unlimited Liability
Usage of Corporate Incorporation Number
Every company that is incorporated in India requires to quote its CIN on the following documents:
- On invoices, bills and receipts
- On notice
- On letterheads
- On memos
- Annual Reports &audits
- Every e-form submission on the MCA portal
- Company’s official publications
- Any other company publications
Penal provisions underpinned by MCA for not citing CIN
The penalty amounts to Rs 1000/day shall be imposed on the company and the officers committing default in pursuant to the above requirements. The maximum penalty in this context has been limited to Rs 100000.
Events under which changes to CIN become a mandate
Following are the events under which companies are mandated to incorporate changes to CIN;
- Any modification in the company’s listing status
- Any modification to the location where the company’s registered office is situated.
- Any modification to the industry/sector
Conclusion
The Ministry of corporate affairs[1] usually grants CIN soon after completing the incorporation process. It comes with the incorporation certificate and serves as the legit identification source. If you need some professional help or services regarding the Corporate Identification Number, aka CIN, then feel free to prompt us without any second thought.
Read our article:How to validate the Company Registration Number?
