Questions, answered.

Two things. First, we're a multi-disciplinary, one-stop firm — Chartered Accountants, IBBI-Registered Valuers, Company Secretaries and Lawyers work under the same umbrella, so audit, valuation, legal drafting and secretarial compliance are coordinated by a single team. Second, every engagement is partner-led. One firm can audit your books, value your shares, draft your SHA and file your ROC forms without anything falling between the cracks.

IBBI-Registered Valuers are authorised under the Companies (Registered Valuers and Valuation) Rules, 2017 to issue legally-recognised valuation reports. You need one for any share issue or transfer under Sec 247 of the Companies Act, for any transaction under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, for certain Income-tax reporting, and for fair-value exercises during M&A or fund-raising. Our valuers are registered for Securities or Financial Assets (SFA).

Yes. We regularly advise on FEMA-compliant outbound structures and incorporate entities in the UAE (Mainland and Free Zone), Singapore, Malaysia and the US. A typical cross-border mandate combines our CAs (tax structuring), lawyers (contracts, regulatory), and Company Secretaries (filings) — coordinated under one partner.

Either works. Many clients start with a single need — a statutory audit, a valuation for an ESOP, or a Shareholders Agreement — and expand over time. Others onboard with Virtual CFO or a full-stack retainer from day one. We scope to fit the mandate.

Seed-to-Series-C Indian startups, SMEs with PAN-India operations, listed and soon-to-list companies, family businesses undergoing succession, and NRIs or foreign groups investing into or out of India. Roughly a third of our active client base has international exposure.

Transparent engagement-based fees. For one-time work (incorporation, audit, valuation report, drafting) we quote a fixed fee upfront. For continuing work (Virtual CFO, accounting, secretarial retainers) we agree a monthly retainer based on scope. No hidden costs, no surprise invoices.

For a straightforward incorporation with Indian resident directors and shareholders, the MCA process typically takes 7–15 working days after all documents are submitted. Our team front-loads the preparation so most clients receive their Certificate of Incorporation within 10 working days.

Yes. A foreign national can be a director in an Indian Private Limited or Public Limited Company. You need at least one resident Indian director. The foreign director requires a DIN, and the appointment must comply with FEMA guidelines if shares are also held. Our cross-border team handles both the MCA and FEMA aspects in a single engagement.

Not with us. Our business setup team combines a CA (entity structuring, tax registrations), a Company Secretary (ROC filings, MCA compliance) and a Lawyer (MOA/AOA drafting, SHA, FEMA advisory) under one coordinated engagement — so you don't brief three firms on the same facts.

There is no minimum paid-up capital requirement for a Private Limited Company under the Companies Act, 2013. You can start with ₹1 in paid-up capital. However, the authorised capital determines your stamp duty, and we advise clients on the right structure based on their funding and ESOP plans.

Yes — we handle concurrent setups regularly. The typical structure involves an Indian entity (subsidiary or JV) and a UAE entity (Mainland LLC or Free Zone). We coordinate the FEMA and RBI reporting on the Indian side with the MOE/DED filings on the UAE side, so both entities are incorporated and compliant in parallel.

Yes. Every company registered under the Companies Act, 2013 — regardless of size or turnover — must have its accounts audited by a Chartered Accountant. This is a non-negotiable legal requirement. Additionally, firms with turnover exceeding ₹1 crore (trading) or ₹50 lakh (professionals) need a tax audit under Sec 44AB of the Income Tax Act.

Internal Financial Controls (IFC) audit is mandatory for all listed companies and for unlisted public companies with paid-up share capital above ₹25 crore. The auditor must report on the adequacy and operating effectiveness of IFC as part of the statutory audit. Even for companies not legally required, we recommend an IFC review as it significantly reduces the risk of financial misstatement and fraud.

We bring Big-4 methodology with boutique firm responsiveness. Our partners have alumni backgrounds from Big-4 and large national firms, so the audit framework, risk-based sampling, and documentation standards are at the same level. The difference: your file is managed by a partner directly, not passed down to junior staff. You get senior judgement at every stage, not just at sign-off.

Yes. We follow the ICAI peer-communication protocol before accepting an audit appointment — this means we write to the outgoing auditor, allow them time to respond, and only accept if no professional objection exists. We then conduct a proper opening-balance review so the transition is seamless for you.

A Chartered Accountant can issue a valuation certificate for Income-tax purposes (e.g., Sec 56(2)(viib) for share issuances by closely-held companies). However, for valuations under the Companies Act (Sec 247), the IBC, SEBI regulations, or under FEMA for FDI transactions, you need a valuer registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). Using an unregistered valuer for a mandatory report can result in regulatory non-compliance.

Fair Market Value (FMV) is the price a hypothetical willing buyer and seller would agree on in an arm's-length transaction. Fair Value (as used under Ind AS/IFRS) is a market-based measurement of what an entity would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction at the measurement date. While conceptually similar, the two standards diverge significantly in application — particularly for Level 3 inputs (unobservable). Our valuers are qualified in both FMV (for regulatory/tax reports) and Fair Value (for financial statement purposes).

A straightforward equity valuation for a seed-stage company typically takes 3–5 working days once we have the financials and business plan. A complex valuation — involving multiple business units, intangible assets (brand, technology), or IBC/court purposes — can take 10–20 working days depending on the depth of analysis required and management availability for our diligence calls.

Yes. Pre-revenue valuation is a significant part of our practice. We use Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) with probabilistic scenarios, the Berkus Method for very early-stage startups, the Venture Capital Method for funding-round purposes, and Comparable Transaction Analysis where market data is available. We'll recommend the method that best fits your purpose — fund-raise, ESOP, or regulatory compliance.

Ideally both — and at Thinkbiz, you get both in one engagement. A Company Secretary ensures the SHA aligns with the Articles of Association, ROC filings, and Companies Act provisions. A lawyer drafts and negotiates the commercial terms — exit rights, drag-along, tag-along, anti-dilution, governance rights. Separating them is a common source of gaps in SHA documentation.

Yes. Our lawyers practice before the National Company Law Tribunal for matters including oppression and mismanagement petitions, IBC resolution proceedings, mergers and demergers under Sec 230–232, and restoration of struck-off companies. We combine our legal representation with the CA and CS work that NCLT matters typically require, such as financial analysis, valuation, and compliance records.

We draft and review contracts under Indian law with international governing-law clauses, and where overseas local law input is required, we work with our network of correspondent firms in the UAE, Singapore, the UK and the US. We flag jurisdictional conflicts, recommend arbitration clauses appropriate for the counterpart's jurisdiction, and ensure FEMA compliance on the payment terms.

A compounding application is the process by which a company or individual regularises an inadvertent violation of FEMA regulations — for example, a delay in reporting an FDI inflow, or receiving funds in a disallowed instrument. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) considers the application, assesses the violation, and imposes a compounding fee to regularise the contravention. Our team has handled multiple compounding applications before the RBI and can assess whether your situation qualifies.

No. A whole-time Company Secretary is mandatory only for companies with paid-up share capital of ₹10 crore or more. Smaller companies must comply with the Companies Act but can appoint a practising Company Secretary (PCS) on a retainer basis. Our secretarial retainer covers all MCA, ROC, SEBI and related filings without requiring a full-time hire.

A Secretarial Audit (Form MR-3) is a review of a company's compliance with the Companies Act, SEBI regulations, FEMA, labour laws, and other applicable laws. It is mandatory for: listed companies, companies with paid-up capital ≥ ₹50 crore, companies with public borrowings ≥ ₹250 crore, and subsidiaries of listed companies meeting threshold criteria. The report is annexed to the Board's Report.

Late filings attract additional fees under the Companies Act — the quantum increases with delay and can be substantial for filings like annual returns and financial statements. In serious cases of non-filing, the MCA can strike off the company. Our secretarial retainer includes proactive deadline management and automated reminders so missed filings are a preventable event, not a surprise.

Yes, this is a significant part of our practice. Foreign subsidiaries registered in India (as a wholly-owned subsidiary, joint venture, or branch) have the same ROC obligations as domestic companies, plus additional reporting requirements under FEMA (FLA, FC-GPR, FC-TRS) to the RBI. We manage both the Companies Act and FEMA compliance in an integrated annual engagement.

An accountant or bookkeeper handles historical recording — what happened. A Virtual CFO handles forward-looking financial leadership — what should happen and why. Our Virtual CFO service covers financial planning, cash-flow forecasting, investor reporting, board presentations, fund-raise preparation, and strategic financial decisions. We also coordinate with your auditors, bankers, and lawyers so you have one senior financial point of contact rather than multiple disconnected vendors.

It depends on your stage and needs. A typical engagement ranges from 20 to 60 hours per month. Seed-stage companies often need 20–30 hours for monthly MIS, investor reporting and basic financial planning. Growth-stage companies raising funds or building investor-grade reporting need 40–60 hours. We agree the scope and hours upfront and flex up during peak periods like board meetings or fund-raise processes.

Yes — this is one of the most valued aspects of the service for funded startups. Our Virtual CFOs are comfortable on investor calls, in board meetings, and in due-diligence sessions. We can prepare and present the quarterly MIS, respond to investor data requests, and coordinate with the lead investor's finance team directly.

Tax filing is a separate, adjacent engagement, but we coordinate seamlessly because our CA team handles both. Many Virtual CFO clients also engage us for their Income Tax returns, GST filings and Transfer Pricing documentation as a bundled retainer. This eliminates the common problem of the CFO service and the tax team having different views on the same numbers.

Yes. We do mid-year transitions regularly. Our onboarding process includes a diagnostic review of the existing books, reconciliation of opening balances, and a cleanup pass if required before we take over the monthly close. We aim for a clean handover within 2–4 weeks of engagement.

We work with Tally (ERP9 and Prime), Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online, and Xero — the four most common platforms among our client base. For clients without a preference, we recommend Zoho Books or Tally Prime depending on business size and GST complexity. We can also provide cloud-access to your own instance so you have real-time visibility.

Our standard accounting retainer includes monthly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filings. Annual return (GSTR-9) and reconciliation (GSTR-9C) are quoted separately since their complexity varies significantly by client. TDS filings (quarterly returns and Form 16/16A) are typically included in the retainer scope as well.

A part-time accountant gives you one person's availability and expertise. Our accounting retainer gives you a team: an assigned accountant for day-to-day bookkeeping, a CA reviewer for monthly close sign-off, and access to our tax and compliance bench when transactions get complex. You also get continuity — if your assigned accountant is unavailable, the team picks up without disruption.