We assist resident and international entrepreneurs in navigating Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations, documentation, and corporate bank onboarding. Supporting founders from over 50+ countries.
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We audit your Certificate of Incorporation (COI), Memorandum of Association (MOA), Articles of Association (AOA), Board Resolution, PAN, TAN, and Goods and Services Tax (GST) registrations to eliminate common rejection triggers.
We match your operational profile and shareholding structure with Authorized Dealer Category-I (AD-Cat I) commercial banks or licensed digital business account platforms suited to your inward/outward remittance needs.
Where allowed by the institution, we prepare and submit documentation directly to branch compliance heads. Where personal appearance or biometric verification is legally mandatory, we coordinate scheduling to minimize friction.
For foreign directors and shareholders, we advise on mandatory FDI compliance steps, such as reporting foreign inward remittances on the RBI FIRMS portal and obtaining Foreign Inward Remittance Certificates (FIRC).
India's banking ecosystem is anchored by public and private sector Scheduled Commercial Banks regulated by the RBI. For entities with foreign shareholding, cross-border import/export requirements, or high transaction volumes, Authorized Dealer Category-I (AD-Cat I) banks are essential.
Digital platforms in India operate as technology partners alongside RBI-regulated scheduled commercial banks. They streamline day-to-day cash management, vendor payouts, and payroll through intuitive web dashboards.
Onboarding policies, remote capabilities, and non-resident eligibility vary by branch, risk profile, and regulatory updates. Final approval is determined solely by the financial institution.
| Provider | Non-resident accepted? | Remote onboarding? | Local address/company requirements | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDFC Bank | Yes (Requires provider confirmation for specific shareholding structures) | No (Requires in-person KYC or consular/attested documentation; needs branch confirmation) | Registered Indian office address, active Indian Company PAN, and local resident director presence | 2 to 4 weeks |
| ICICI Bank | Yes (Supports foreign direct investment accounts with verified FDI documents) | Partial (Digital pre-submission available; physical verification of resident director generally required) | Registered Indian entity, Indian PAN, TAN, and registered office utility proof | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Axis Bank | Yes (Subject to enhanced due diligence and branch compliance approval) | No (Requires biometric or physical signature verification in branch) | Registered Indian company, active GSTIN (if applicable), and local physical address | 2 to 4 weeks |
| State Bank of India (SBI) | Yes (Subject to strict manual scrutiny under FEMA guidelines) | No (In-person branch visit mandatory for authorized signatories) | Incorporated Indian company with physical operations and certified registered office | 3 to 6 weeks |
| RazorpayX (Bank Partner Model) | Needs confirmation (Depends on underlying banking partner policy for foreign shareholding) | Yes (Digital onboarding for Indian-resident authorized signatories via Aadhaar/V-CIP) | Registered Indian entity with active Indian current account and domestic operational base | 3 to 7 business days |
| Open.money (Bank Partner Model) | Needs confirmation (Primarily tailored to resident-owned Indian MSMEs) | Yes (Fully digital verification available for domestic directors via Aadhaar OTP/Video KYC) | Indian registered business with domestic director presence | 3 to 5 business days |
Indian companies (Private Limited, Public Limited, or LLPs) needing corporate current accounts with established commercial banks.
Foreign founders and multinationals with an incorporated Indian subsidiary requiring assistance with FDI-compliant banking desks.
Cross-border e-commerce, SaaS, and IT export businesses requiring outward remittances, inward remittance certificates (FIRC), and EEFC (Exchange Earners' Foreign Currency) accounts.
Companies with complex shareholding structures that require structured application dossiers to pass multi-tier compliance reviews.
Foreign businesses without an incorporated Indian legal entity (such as a Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Joint Venture, Branch Office, or Project Office).
Businesses seeking shell company accounts, anonymous holding structures, or accounts without a physical operational presence.
Founders seeking guaranteed approvals or seeking to circumvent statutory RBI, FEMA, or KYC verification laws.
High-risk or prohibited business sectors under Indian law, including unregulated crypto-trading entities, multi-level marketing, or offshore gambling platforms.
A corporate bank account in India cannot be opened without a valid Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), along with an entity-level Permanent Account Number (PAN) and Tax Deduction Account Number (TAN). If your entity is not yet registered, our specialized incorporation team can structure and register your Indian Private Limited Company or Wholly Owned Subsidiary from start to finish.
We evaluate your company's incorporation status, shareholding distribution, directorship nationality, and operational profile to identify the appropriate banking partners and required compliance filings.
Our team prepares and organizes the statutory paperwork—including MCA filings, board resolutions, apostilled/consularized foreign director documents, PAN, GST certificates, and beneficial ownership declarations.
We introduce your file directly to corporate relationship teams at our partner banking institutions, actively tracking the compliance review and handling clarifications raised by the bank's internal legal and AML departments.
Once the bank concludes its due diligence, authorized signatories complete their mandated physical or video KYC. Your corporate account numbers, corporate net banking access, and trade facilities are then activated.
Opening a corporate bank account in India as an international founder requires careful navigation of the regulatory landscape. Under the Indian Companies Act, 2013, every Indian company must have at least one director who resides in India (spending a minimum of 182 days in the country during the financial year). Foreign directors holding shares or operational control are subject to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) guidelines governed by the RBI. While international founders do not need to be Indian citizens to open a corporate account, the account must belong to a legally recognized Indian corporate entity—such as a Wholly Owned Subsidiary (WOS), Joint Venture (JV), or approved Branch/Project Office. Physical presence for bank account opening depends heavily on the chosen bank's internal compliance rules. While some paperwork and video KYC procedures have been modernized, foreign directors may still be required to visit an Indian branch, visit an Indian embassy/consulate to attest identification papers, or empower an Indian resident director through an authorized board resolution to execute banking formalities.
Supporting founders from over 50+ countries. We regularly assist foreign directors across global jurisdictions to coordinate their corporate banking arrangements in India:
United States, Canada
United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands
Singapore, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong
United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar
Everything you need to know about opening a corporate business bank account in India.
