How much does Project Office Setup cost in India 2026?

KAMRIT's published starting price for Project Office Setup is ₹74,899. Pricing is fixed-fee with no hidden charges. Government fees are extra and disclosed separately. The exact fee depends on scope, state, and any add-ons. See the package cards on this page for tiered options.

What documents will KAMRIT need for Project Office Setup?

KAMRIT shares a precise checklist on the kickoff call within one business day of your enquiry. Typical documents include identity and address proof of the directors or principal officer, business address proof, and any service-specific supporting documents.

How long does Project Office Setup take?

Timelines depend on regulator processing. KAMRIT initiates filings within one business day of receiving complete documents and tracks every notification. For most India-based filings the end-to-end timeline is 7 to 21 working days.

Does KAMRIT serve clients outside Delhi and Noida?

Yes. KAMRIT serves clients across India and globally. The team is headquartered at 1372, Kashmere Gate, Delhi 110006 and at 4th Floor, C130, Sector 2, Noida 201301 (Uttar Pradesh), with engagement teams across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune.

Can KAMRIT also handle ongoing compliance after Project Office Setup?

Yes. KAMRIT supports the entire compliance lifecycle. Most clients move to a fixed-fee monthly retainer covering GST, TDS, ROC, payroll, PF, ESI, and FEMA after their initial registration is complete.

Is the pricing all-inclusive?

KAMRIT's professional fee is fixed and transparent. Government statutory fees, stamp duty, and any third-party costs (notarisation, valuation reports, etc.) are extra and disclosed before work starts.

How do I get started with Project Office Setup?

Send your enquiry through our contact form. A senior KAMRIT expert reviews it within one business day and replies with a precise document checklist and a fixed-fee quote.

Project Office Setup in India 2026

Project Office Setup from KAMRIT. Senior expert accountability, transparent fixed-fee pricing, 100% online delivery across India.

Setting up a Project Office in India as a foreign entity is a critical compliance milestone that most founders and finance heads discover only when a government contract, infrastructure bid, or joint development agreement makes it unavoidable. Without a legally registered presence, you cannot receive INR-denominated payments, hold land rights, or sign enforceable agreements in the country. The legal backbone is FEMA 22 and the RBI Master Direction on Establishment of Branch Office, Liaison Office and Project Office by Foreign Entities (updated July 2023), which classifies Project Offices separately from Branch Offices and requires either automatic-route eligibility or specific RBI approval via an Authorised Dealer Category-I bank. KAMRIT Financial Services LLP manages the complete FEMA compliance lifecycle: eligibility pre-screening, document assembly, Form A2 filing, RBI application submission through AD Category-I, and post-registration ROC/MCA compliance under the Companies Act 2013 if the engagement warrants a private limited structure. We work directly with your AD bank and our legal associates to ensure zero correspondence delays and a certificate-in-hand within the regulator's stated timelines.

What is Project Office Setup in India 2026?

A Project Office is a temporary, fixed-place place of business established in India by a foreign company to execute a specific contract or project, and it is legally distinct from a Branch Office or Liaison Office under FEMA 22. Unlike a Branch Office, a Project Office cannot independently undertake commercial trading activities; its scope is confined to the project for which it was sanctioned. The RBI's Master Direction (FEMA 22/RBI MD) permits foreign entities to establish Project Offices under two routes: the automatic route for entities awarded contracts by the Indian Government or public sector undertakings (PSUs), and the approval route for all other cases, requiring prior RBI sanction. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs governs the corporate structure once the entity is registered as a foreign company under Part I of the Companies Act 2013 and listed in the Ninth Schedule. The Income Tax Act 1961 treats a Project Office as a taxable entity with permanent establishment status, requiring PAN application and TDS compliance from day one. Key thresholds include the ₹60 lakh contract value trigger for automatic-route eligibility and the mandatory two-year project duration ceiling extendable by RBI application.

Who needs this

Foreign entities and their Indian subsidiaries or joint venture partners must meet specific FEMA and RBI criteria before applying for Project Office registration. Eligibility is not universal and depends on contract nature, counterparty identity, and financial standing.

The foreign entity is a company incorporated or registered outside India under the applicable foreign law of its home jurisdiction.
The entity has been awarded a contract or sub-contract by an Indian Government ministry, department, or PSU that meets or exceeds the ₹60 lakh threshold.
The contract is for a specific, time-bound project with defined deliverables, scope, and milestones documented in a signed agreement or work order.
The project has a minimum duration of two years, extendable by RBI application, and the entity maintains books of account in India for the project duration.
The foreign entity can demonstrate financial soundness through audited balance sheets showing net worth above ₹5 crore (or equivalent in foreign currency) for the last three financial years.
The entity does not engage in retail trading, e-commerce marketplace operations, or any activity prohibited under FEMA or the Foreign Direct Investment policy.
If the project involves defence, telecom, or private sector contracts, the entity must obtain sector-specific clearances from DPIIT or the relevant ministry before RBI filing.
The Indian counterparty or client provides a no-objection certificate or tripartite agreement confirming the project scope and payment structure.
The entity appoints an Indian resident as the authorised signatory for FEMA correspondence and bank operations.
The proposed Project Office address falls within the jurisdiction of the relevant Registrar of Companies and has a valid registered premises proof.

Documents required

The document stack for a Project Office FEMA application is extensive and must be certified, apostilled (for non-Hague Convention jurisdictions), and translated into English where required. Incomplete submissions are the primary cause of RBI query letters that extend timelines by 60-90 working days.

Form A2 (Application for Remittance of Income / Initial Remittance) and Form FNC (Financial Connectivity Form) submitted to the AD Category-I bank as part of the FEMA application package.
Certificate of Incorporation and Registration of the foreign entity, apostilled or consularised, with a certified English translation if the original is not in English.
Memorandum and Articles of Association (MOA/AOA) of the foreign entity, certified and notarised, showing the principal place of business and authorised activities.
Board Resolution of the foreign entity authorising the establishment of a Project Office in India, specifying the appointed Indian authorised signatory and the project scope.
Project Contract or Agreement with the Indian counterparty, on company letterhead, signed by both parties, detailing scope, duration, payment terms, and INR billing structure.
Audited Financial Statements of the foreign entity for the last three financial years, demonstrating net worth above ₹5 crore and profitability trends.
Banker's Report from the foreign entity's banker in India (AD Category-I bank) confirming financial standing and FX transaction history, on the bank's letterhead.
No-Objection Certificate or Tripartite Agreement from the Indian client or counterparty, specifically referencing the RBI automatic-route clause or providing consent for the approval-route application.
Proof of Registered Office in India: lease agreement, property tax receipt, NOC from landlord, and utility bill (not older than two months).
PAN Application Form 49A for the foreign company as an Indian taxable entity, along with Form 10A for TAN allotment.
KYC documents of the Indian authorised signatory: Aadhaar, PAN, passport-size photograph, and proof of residence.
Board Resolution of the Indian JV or subsidiary (if applicable) confirming the parent entity's Project Office establishment and the Indian entity's co-signatory role.

How KAMRIT runs it, step by step

The Project Office setup process under FEMA runs through three sequential gates: AD bank pre-screening, RBI application submission, and MCA post-registration. Each gate has internal KAMRIT deliverables and external stakeholder milestones that determine the overall timeline.

Eligibility Pre-Screening and Contract Review. KAMRIT conducts a structured pre-screening interview to confirm automatic-route or approval-route eligibility. We review the signed contract or work order to verify the ₹60 lakh threshold, counterparty identity (Government/PSU vs private sector), and project scope alignment with FEMA 22 permitted activities. If the contract is with a private entity, we flag the approval-route requirement immediately and advise on DPIIT sector-specific FDI clearance timelines. This step takes 2-3 working days and is included in the ₹74,899 starting fee.
Document Assembly and Legal Certification. KAMRIT prepares the complete Form A2, Form FNC, and FEMA application annexures. We coordinate with the foreign entity's legal team to obtain apostilled MOA/AOA and board resolutions. We assist in obtaining the AD Category-I banker's report and the tripartite NOC from the Indian counterparty. All documents are reviewed for format compliance with RBI's 2023 circular requirements. This stage takes 10-15 working days depending on document sourcing speed from the foreign entity.
AD Bank Submission and Pre-Approval Coordination. KAMRIT files the FEMA application package with the nominated AD Category-I bank on behalf of the foreign entity. The AD bank conducts its own due diligence under FEMA guidelines and forwards the application to RBI's inbound investment division with its recommendation. KAMRIT manages all AD bank query responses and ensures reply submissions within the stipulated 30-day window. This stage typically takes 20-30 working days and is the first major external regulator-controlled gate.
RBI Processing and Approval. For automatic-route cases, RBI issues an approval letter within 15-30 working days of receiving the AD bank's forwarded application. For approval-route cases, RBI's processing takes 60-90 working days, and additional documents may be requested under FEMA 22's scrutiny provisions. KAMRIT tracks RBI application status through the FIRMS portal and responds to any query within 7 working days to avoid unnecessary delays. This is the longest and least predictable stage in the process.
MCA Foreign Company Registration. Upon receipt of the RBI approval, KAMRIT files Form FC-1 (Foreign Company Registration) with the Registrar of Companies under the Companies Act 2013, Part I, and the Ninth Schedule. This filing includes the certified copy of the RBI approval, details of the Indian authorised signatory, and the registered office address. ROC processing takes 5-15 working days for the Certificate of Registration.
PAN, TAN, and Bank Account Activation. KAMRIT applies for PAN of the foreign company (Form 49A) and TAN (Form 49B) simultaneously with the MCA filing to parallel-track compliance. Once the ROC certificate is issued, we assist in opening the INR project account at the AD Category-I bank and ensure FEMA reporting readiness for the first remittance.

Timeline

The end-to-end timeline for a Project Office setup ranges from 75 to 120 working days for automatic-route cases and 120 to 180 working days for approval-route cases, measured from the date KAMRIT receives complete document submissions from the foreign entity. KAMRIT-controlled stages account for approximately 30-40 working days (pre-screening, document assembly, MCA filing, PAN/TAN applications) while AD bank processing (20-30 working days) and RBI processing (15-90 working days depending on route) are external timelines that KAMRIT actively manages but does not control. Private sector contract cases requiring DPIIT sector clearance add an additional 45-60 working days before RBI filing. The MCA ROC certificate is typically received within 10-15 working days of Form FC-1 submission, which KAMRIT files immediately upon RBI approval receipt to maximise parallel processing. Clients should budget for a 6-month realistic timeline for approval-route cases, and a 4-month timeline for automatic-route cases, with both starting from the date of receipt of the signed contract and apostilled entity documents.

How our pricing compares

KAMRIT Financial Services LLP offers Project Office Setup starting at ₹74,899, which covers eligibility pre-screening, complete Form A2 and FEMA application drafting, AD bank submission management, RBI correspondence coordination, Form FC-1 MCA filing, and PAN/TAN applications through to first approval receipt. Government fees for MCA Form FC-1 filing are ₹6,000 (stamp duty varies by state and is charged separately, typically ₹500 to ₹2,000). KAMRIT's ₹74,899 is a comprehensive service fee and explicitly excludes government fees, stamp duty, apostille/certification costs, DPIIT clearance fees, and courier charges. By comparison, IndiaFilings prices similar FEMA project office services at ₹69,999 to ₹89,999 but bundles government fees and excludes post-RBI MCA filing, which is charged as an add-on at ₹5,000. Vakilsearch quotes ₹75,000 to ₹1,10,000 for the same service and does not include RBI query response management, a critical stage where delays most commonly occur. ClearTax does not actively offer FEMA Project Office services and routes such cases through their legal partner network at ₹90,000 to ₹1,25,000 with slower turnaround. LegalRaasta quotes ₹55,000 to ₹70,000 but is known for high rejection rates at the AD bank pre-screening stage due to incomplete document packages. KAMRIT's price is justified by the inclusion of AD bank pre-approval coordination, RBI query response management, and simultaneous MCA parallel-filing, which collectively reduce the external-regulator-controlled timeline by an estimated 20-30 working days compared to budget competitors.

Common mistakes KAMRIT avoids

First-time FEMA applicants frequently encounter avoidable delays and rejection letters because they underestimate the document precision requirements and inter-stage dependencies unique to Project Office applications. Most mistakes originate in the contract review and document certification stages, before any formal filing occurs.

Submitting a contract below the ₹60 lakh threshold for automatic-route eligibility, triggering the longer approval-route process without advance planning for DPIIT clearance.
Failing to apostille or consularise the MOA/AOA and financial statements under the correct Hague Convention or Embassy attestation procedure, causing RBI rejection at first submission.
Not obtaining a tripartite NOC from the Indian counterparty, which is mandatory for automatic-route applications citing Government/PSU contracts.
Filing Form FC-1 with the MCA before receiving the RBI approval letter, which results in ROC rejection and a fresh filing with new fees.
Assuming the AD bank will manage RBI correspondence, when in fact the applicant must actively track RBI status via FIRMS and respond to queries within 7 working days.
Underestimating the permanent establishment tax implications: a Project Office requires PAN, TAN, and GST registration (if turnover exceeds ₹20 lakh) from day one, not after the project begins billing.
Engaging a compliance partner without FEMA-specialist capability, leading to generic company incorporation services being offered instead of FEMA-specific project office filing under RBI Master Direction FEMA 22.
Not appointing an Indian resident authorised signatory with valid Aadhaar and PAN at the Form A2 stage, which causes the AD bank to reject the application at first review.