Change your companyname.

The Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014 set out what makes a proposed name acceptable. The same rules that apply to a brand-new incorporation apply to a name change. Roughly half of all RUN rejections come from the same handful of triggers.

1. i.

   Not too similar to an existing name

   The proposed name cannot be 'too nearly resembling' an existing company or LLP name. The Ministry has a structured similarity test (described in Part Two below) that strips out plurals, spelling variations, dotted prefixes, and matches the remaining root word against the master data.

2. ii.

   Not identical or deceptively similar to a registered trademark

   If a trademark already covers the proposed name in any class — held by you or by someone else — the Registrar will block the reservation unless you produce a no-objection from the trademark holder. Most rejections at this stage are because the founder didn't run a trademark check before applying.

3. iii.

   Not undesirable in the Government's opinion

   Names suggesting state patronage ('National', 'Federal'), names of public-sector bodies, names containing 'Bank', 'Insurance', 'Stock Exchange', 'Chamber of Commerce', 'Authority', 'University', or 'Council' need separate regulatory approval and are rejected without it.

4. iv.

   Reflects the principal business

   If the company name suggests one line of business but the objects clause in the Memorandum is for something else, the Registrar pushes back. Either the name has to change or the Memorandum has to be amended at the same filing to align the objects.

5. v.

   Not used by a company struck off in the past two years

   Names of recently struck-off companies are locked for two years from the strike-off date. After that, they're available again.

6. vi.

   Suffix matches the company type

   A Private Limited's new name must end with 'Private Limited' (or 'Pvt Ltd'). A Public Limited's must end with 'Limited'. An OPC's with '(OPC) Private Limited'. These are non-negotiable.

Most name changes complete within three working weeks. The biggest variable is the Central Government's review of INC-24, which can take anywhere from a week to 25 days.

1. Days 1–2

   Briefing, similarity check, engagement

   The proposed names are run through the Ministry's master data and the trademark register. The reason for the change is scoped. The document checklist arrives the same day.

2. Days 2–4

   RUN application filed

   Two proposed names are filed on the RUN portal in priority order. The Ministry usually approves one within 2–3 working days. The reservation holds the name for 20 days.

3. Days 4–6

   Board resolution and general meeting notice

   The board resolution authorising the change is drafted and circulated. The general-meeting notice with the explanatory statement is sent to shareholders. 21 clear days' notice is required (shorter notice is possible with full shareholder consent).

4. Days 6–7

   Special resolution passed

   The shareholders pass the special resolution at the general meeting (or by written consent, where consent of 100% of voting shareholders is obtained).

5. Days 7–10

   MGT-14 and INC-24 filed

   MGT-14 is filed within 30 days of the resolution; INC-24 is filed alongside it. Both are signed by a Practising Company Secretary and submitted with the updated Memorandum.

6. Days 10–21

   Government approval and fresh certificate

   The Central Government reviews INC-24 — typically 7–15 days, sometimes longer. Once approved, the fresh Certificate of Incorporation (INC-25) is issued in the new name. The CIN stays the same; only the name changes.

The fresh Certificate of Incorporation is the legal endpoint of the change — but only the start of the operational handover. Several downstream updates have to follow within tight windows.

• PAN and TAN — auto-updated

  The Income Tax Department picks up the name change from the Ministry's master data feed. Updated PAN and TAN cards are issued automatically; you don't need to apply. The PAN number itself doesn't change.

• Bank account — application required

  The company's bank needs the fresh Certificate of Incorporation, the board resolution, and updated Memorandum to update the account name. The account number stays the same. Cheque books need to be re-issued. Most banks take 7–14 days.

• GST registration — separate filing

  The GST portal needs a fresh Form REG-14 application to update the legal name. GSTIN stays the same. The update is approved within a week. The new name must appear on all invoices issued from the date of the new certificate.

• Other registrations — case by case

  Employee provident fund (EPFO), employee state insurance (ESIC), import-export code (IEC), professional tax, Shop & Establishment, MSME — each needs its own update through its own portal. We coordinate these on request as add-on filings to the same engagement.

• Contracts, letterheads, signage, branding

  The company is the same legal person, so existing contracts remain valid in the new name. But suppliers and customers usually expect a formal intimation letter, fresh purchase-order templates, updated bills, and updated branding. This is the operational work outside the legal filing.

Most RUN rejections come from one rule: the proposed name is ‘too nearly resembling’ an existing company or LLP name on the Ministry's master data. The test is more mechanical than people expect.

What the Ministry strips out before comparing

1. i.

   Plurals and tense variations

   'Bakers' and 'Baker' are treated as the same name. 'Running' and 'Run' are treated as the same.

2. ii.

   Spelling variations

   'Color' and 'Colour' are treated as the same. 'Tek' and 'Tech' are treated as the same. Slang substitutions of letters ('z' for 's', 'k' for 'c') do not create distinction.

3. iii.

   Common business words

   Words like 'Solutions', 'Services', 'Technology', 'Enterprises', 'Group', 'Ventures' are treated as filler and stripped before comparison. 'Apex Solutions' and 'Apex Services' are treated as the same.

4. iv.

   Geographic prefixes and suffixes

   'Indian', 'India', 'Asia', 'Global', city names — stripped before comparison. 'Mumbai Apex' and 'Apex Mumbai' are both treated as 'Apex'.

5. v.

   Articles and connectors

   'The', 'And', '&', 'For' — ignored. Spacing, hyphens, and dots between words — ignored. 'A&B Tech' and 'A B Technology' are the same.

6. vi.

   The legal suffix

   'Private Limited', 'LLP', 'Limited', '(OPC)' — never part of the comparison.

After the strip-out, the Ministry compares the remaining core name. If the core is identical or sounds too close to an existing name, the application is rejected — even if the two names look quite different on paper. A concrete example: ‘Mumbai Pluto Tech Solutions’ and ‘Pluto Ventures India’ both get reduced to ‘Pluto’ before comparison, so both will collide with any existing company or LLP whose core is ‘Pluto’ — even if neither exact name exists.

A name change is sometimes pitched as ‘just a filing’. It is mechanically simple, but the downstream updates can take weeks if not managed. The table below sets out what rolls over automatically and what needs separate action.

The Ministry-side update is what we do. The bank, GST, EPFO, and other downstream filings can be bundled as add-ons; we'll quote them as a package once the new certificate is in hand.