Regulatory Compliance in the Digital Age for Indian Founders
Why this page exists?
India’s compliance ecosystem is now digital-first. The biggest operational risk is no longer “finding information” — it is using the wrong website (phishing/typosquatting) or relying on non-official summaries.
This page lists official government/regulator portals you can bookmark and use as primary references.
Note - All links on this page lead to external websites we do not control. Laws and forms change; always confirm details with your CA/lawyer and the latest official notifications. This is a link library. It is not legal, tax or investment advice
1) Data Privacy (DPDP Act, 2023)
What this covers:
- Consent and notice obligations
- Grievance handling
- Data breach reporting expectations
- Board-led enforcement framework
Official links:
- DPDP Act (MeitY): https://www.meity.gov.in/content/digital-personal-data-protection-act-2023
- DPDP Rules, 2025 (MeitY “Act & Policies” repository): https://www.meity.gov.in/documents/act-and-policies
- Gazette portal (for official notifications): https://egazette.gov.in/
Practical founder checklist:
- Publish a Privacy Policy that matches what your website/app actually collects
- Add a grievance contact mechanism (email + escalation)
- Keep proof of consent capture and consent withdrawal workflow
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2) Corporate Affairs (Companies Act / MCA V3)
What this covers:
- Incorporation and company master data
- e-Forms, filings, public documents
- Director/Professional identity + DSC workflows (MCA V3)
Official links:
- MCA portal home (V3): https://www.mca.gov.in/content/mca/global/en/home.html
- MCA (main domain): https://www.mca.gov.in/
Where to find forms (on MCA):
- MCA Services → e-Filing → Company Forms Download (example: INC-20A and other e-forms)
Practical founder checklist:
- Ensure your CIN master data is correct
- Confirm required e-forms are filed and challans are stored in your compliance folder
- If using DSC, ensure it’s properly associated on the portal for the right user role
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3) Securities Market (SEBI) — Investment Adviser (IA) boundary
What this covers:
- The definition of “investment advice”
- IA regulatory perimeter and compliance expectations
- A clear line between “business/governance advisory” vs “investment advice”
Official links:
- SEBI website: https://www.sebi.gov.in/
- SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulations, 2013 (latest consolidated page):
https://www.sebi.gov.in/legal/regulations/dec-2024/securities-and-exchange-board-of-india-investment-advisers-regulations-2013-last-amended-on-december-16-2024-_90151.html
Navigation tip on SEBI:
- SEBI → Legal → Regulations (use the official consolidated version rather than random PDFs)
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4) Foreign Investment Reporting (RBI / FEMA) — FIRMS + FLA
What this covers:
- Entity Master + Single Master Form (SMF) reporting for FDI instruments and transfers
- Annual Foreign Liabilities and Assets (FLA) return filings via FLAIR
- Authoritative RBI “Master Directions” repository
Official links:
- RBI Master Directions (official listing): https://rbi.org.in/commonman/English/scripts/masterdirection.aspx
- FIRMS portal (SMF login): https://firms.rbi.org.in/firms/faces/pages/login.xhtml
- FLAIR portal (FLA return login): https://flair.rbi.org.in/fla/faces/pages/login.xhtml
- RBI FLA FAQ (official guidance + workflow cues): https://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/english/scripts/FAQs.aspx?Id=1171
Anti-phishing warning:
- Use only rbi.org.in and firms.rbi.org.in / flair.rbi.org.in.
- Do not trust lookalike domains that resemble RBI subdomains.
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5) Indirect Tax (GST) — Common Portal + official tutorials
What this covers:
- Registration, return filing, payments, notices
- Official how-to workflows and help manuals
Official links:
- GST Common Portal: https://www.gst.gov.in/
- GST official user manuals & tutorials: https://tutorial.gst.gov.in/
- e-Way Bill system: https://ewaybillgst.gov.in/
- e-Invoice system: https://einvoice1.gst.gov.in/
- CBIC GST (policy/circulars and official updates): https://cbic-gst.gov.in/
Practical founder checklist:
- Confirm GSTIN status and profile details
- Ensure GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B reconciliations are documented (especially for fundraising diligence)
- Keep copies of notices, replies, and challans in your data room
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Bookmarking protocol (recommended)
- Bookmark only the links above as “Primary Sources”
- In your internal SOPs, store screenshots of the exact page paths (where filings or downloads happen)
- When you must use a third-party explainer, cross-check the step on the official portal before acting