ADVISORY SERVICES · STARTUP ADVISORY

Startup advisory in Kochi: from company registration to investor-ready

Starting up in Kerala means a dozen decisions in the first 90 days: which entity, who owns what, how to protect the name, how to qualify for DPIIT and Kerala Startup Mission support, and how to be ready when an investor asks for the numbers.

Our CA team works with our in-house Company Secretary and documentation team from one office in Kakkanad, so structure, filings, agreements and funding readiness run as one engagement.

Discuss your startup See the founder journey

EST. 1997
ICAI FRN 007670S
KAKKANAD, KOCHI
KERALA · INDIA · ABROAD
UPDATED OCTOBER 2026

WHO WE WORK WITH

Who needs startup advisory?

Technology and product founders

Applying for DPIIT recognition, KSUM grants and angel or venture funding.

Service startups

Consultancies choosing between an LLP and a private limited company.

Social enterprises

Forming a Section 8 company, a public charitable trust or a society.

NRI and returning founders

Starting or investing in an Indian company under FEMA.

Family businesses

Spinning off a new venture or converting a partnership or proprietorship.

First-time founders

At the idea stage, deciding what to set up and when.

THE FOUNDER JOURNEY

What does a CA for startups in Kochi handle?

Five stages, one coordinated team. Join at any stage; each one ends with a defined set of documents and filings.

Idea and structure

Entity choice for your funding plans, tax and compliance load
Founder equity split and vesting
Business plan and project report
Name and trademark search before you register

Incorporate and register

Private limited, OPC and LLP incorporation (SPICe+, DSC, DIN)
Section 8, trust and society; 12A and 80G
Conversion of a partnership or proprietorship
PAN, TAN, GST, Professional Tax, IEC
First board meeting, registers, first auditor

Protect

Founders' agreement: equity, vesting and cliff, IP, exit
Shareholders' and share subscription agreements
ESOP scheme and grant letters
NDAs, employment and consultant agreements
Trademark filing; patent, design and copyright coordination

Recognise and fund

DPIIT recognition and tax-holiday application
KSUM Unique ID and grants; Udyam
Pitch deck and five-year financial plan
Valuation for allotments, ESOPs and FEMA
Cap table, term sheet, data room; PAS-3 and FC-GPR

Run and scale

Bookkeeping, MIS and investor reporting
GST, TDS, income tax and ROC filings
Payroll and labour-law registrations
Virtual CFO: budgets, burn, runway, board packs
Overseas subsidiaries and SME IPO readiness

FOUNDERS' AND SHAREHOLDERS' AGREEMENTS

What should a founders' agreement cover?

A founders' agreement sets out who owns what and what happens when plans change, before money or people come in. A shareholders' agreement takes over once investors join.

Equity split, roles and time commitment
Vesting, commonly four years with a one-year cliff
Assignment of IP to the company
Confidentiality and non-solicitation
Leaver terms, deadlock and exit
For investors: board rights, share transfer rights, anti-dilution and exit

TRADEMARK REGISTRATION FOR STARTUPS

How do you protect your startup's name?

Search the trademark registry for conflicting marks
Choose the right classes for your goods and services
File the application and track its status
Reply to examination reports and oppositions
Coordinate patent, design and copyright filings where needed

DPIIT-recognised startups also get fast-tracked patent examination and a rebate on patent filing fees.

PITCH DECK AND FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS

What do investors expect to see?

A pitch deck tells the story; the financial model shows the numbers behind it. Investors test both in due diligence.

Pitch deck: problem, solution, market size, business model, traction, team, use of funds
Five-year financial plan: profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow, with testable assumptions
Cash runway and scenario analysis
Valuation reports, cap table and data room

STARTUP ACCOUNTING AND COMPLIANCE

What compliance starts on day one?

A new private limited company has filings within weeks of incorporation, and the annual calendar follows from there.

First board meeting within 30 days and first auditor appointment
Commencement of business declaration (INC-20A) within 180 days
Bookkeeping, GST and TDS returns from the first month
ROC annual filings, income tax return and director KYC

See the full annual filing calendar →

COMPANY AND LLP REGISTRATION IN KOCHI

Should you register a private limited company or an LLP?

	Private limited	LLP	OPC	Section 8 company	Public trust
Suited to	Raising equity or offering ESOPs	Bootstrapped service businesses	A single founder	Non-profit with company governance	Charitable and family philanthropy
Shares or ESOPs	Yes	No	No (one member)	Shares, no dividends	No
DPIIT recognition	Yes	Yes	Yes, as a private company	Not the usual route	No
Investor preference	High	Low	Low	Grants and CSR	Grants and donations

DPIIT RECOGNITION

What is DPIIT recognition?

₹200 cr

turnover limit in any year

10 yrs

from incorporation

Under the DPIIT notification of 4 February 2026, a private limited company, registered partnership firm, LLP or cooperative society can be recognised. Deep-tech startups: 20 years and ₹300 crore.

STARTUP TAX HOLIDAY

How does the startup tax holiday work?

100%

of profits deducted

3 of 10

consecutive years you choose

Under section 140 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 (formerly section 80-IAC), for a company or LLP incorporated before 1 April 2030 with turnover up to ₹100 crore, once the Inter-Ministerial Board issues its certificate.

Sources: Startup India (DPIIT) · Section 140, Income Tax Department

KERALA STARTUP MISSION

How do Kerala startups apply for KSUM support?

STEP 1
Incorporate in Kerala as a private limited company, LLP or OPC
STEP 2
Apply for DPIIT recognition
STEP 3
Obtain your KSUM Unique ID
STEP 4
Apply for the grant that fits your stage: Idea, Productisation, Market Acceleration or Scale-up

Grant amounts and conditions change; we check them on the KSUM grants portal before each application.

HOW AN ENGAGEMENT WORKS

How does an engagement work?

1
Discovery call. Your idea, co-founders, funding plans and timelines.
2
Written scope. An engagement letter setting out the scope, deliverables, timelines and fee.
3
Coordinated execution. The CA team, Company Secretary and documentation team work from one checklist.
4
Ongoing calendar. Compliance due dates, investor reporting and periodic reviews.

Documents founders need

PAN and Aadhaar of each founder (passport for NRI and foreign founders, apostilled or notarised)
Recent address proof and photograph
Registered office proof: rent agreement or ownership document, a utility bill and the owner's no-objection letter
Two or three proposed names and a short description of the business

RTA

WHO YOU WORK WITH

CA Regi Tom Antony, FCA, MBA (Australia), ACMA (UK), CGMA (USA), CISA (USA)

Leads each engagement, supported by our in-house Company Secretary and documentation team. Agreements are prepared by our team, with review by an independent advocate where a matter needs it.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What founders ask us first

What is startup advisory?

Professional support for founders on structure, registrations, agreements, tax, compliance and funding readiness: entity formation, recognitions, founder and shareholder agreements, valuation, financial planning and post-launch compliance.

Should my startup be an LLP or a private limited company?

Choose a private limited company if you plan to raise equity or offer ESOPs, because an LLP cannot issue shares. An LLP suits a bootstrapped service business that wants lighter compliance.

How long does company registration take in Kerala?

Usually 7 to 15 working days from complete documents and name approval, depending on MCA processing.

What are the benefits of DPIIT recognition?

The section 140 tax holiday (subject to Inter-Ministerial Board approval), fast-tracked patent examination with a fee rebate, the Startup India Seed Fund and many state schemes, including KSUM programmes.

Can a proprietorship get DPIIT recognition?

No. A private limited company, registered partnership firm, LLP or cooperative society can apply. A proprietorship needs to convert first.

What is a KSUM Unique ID?

Kerala Startup Mission's identification for startups, needed for KSUM grants and programmes. Founders usually incorporate in Kerala and obtain DPIIT recognition first.

Why do co-founders need a founders' agreement?

It records the equity split, roles, vesting (commonly four years with a one-year cliff), IP ownership and what happens if a founder leaves. Investors ask for it in due diligence.

How is a founders' agreement different from a shareholders' agreement?

A founders' agreement governs the co-founders. A shareholders' agreement governs all shareholders, including investors: board rights, share transfers, anti-dilution and exit.

When should a startup register its trademark?

Before launch, and ideally before you finalise the company name, so you are not forced to rebrand later.

Is a valuation report still needed now that angel tax is gone?

Often, yes. Angel tax was removed from 1 April 2025, but valuations are still needed for share allotments, NRI and foreign investment under FEMA pricing rules, ESOPs and investor negotiations.

Can NRIs start or invest in a startup in India?

Yes. NRIs can be directors and shareholders of an Indian company. Investment follows FEMA rules, and the company reports it to the RBI in Form FC-GPR.

Do you work only with startups in Kochi?

No. We meet founders in person in Kakkanad and work online with founders across Kerala, India and abroad.

RELATED READING

Virtual CFO services → Cross-border tax and FEMA → Secretarial services → Startup guides on smeadvisory.in →

Tell us where you are

Idea, incorporating, protecting, raising or scaling. We will set out the scope in writing after a first discussion.

Discuss your startup

Reviewed by CA Regi Tom Antony, FCA, October 2026 · Regi Tom Antony & Associates, Chartered Accountants, ICAI FRN 007670S, Kakkanad, Kochi. General information, not advice for your particular situation.