Company name availability check in India: MCA search, naming rules and RUN

To check whether a company name is available in India, search the name on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal using its free Check Company Name service, which shows existing companies and LLPs with the same or similar names. Then search the IP India trademark database, because a name that clashes with a registered trademark can be rejected or challenged later. If both are clear, you reserve the name through SPICe+ Part A or the RUN service for a company, or RUN-LLP for an LLP.

The MCA does not simply check whether the exact name exists. It applies the naming rules in the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014, which treat many small changes as "the same name" and block certain words altogether. This lesson explains those rules in plain language, so you can pick a name that is approved the first time. Rules and fees below are as of October 2026.

How do you check if a company name is available?

1. Search the MCA portal. Open the MCA portal and use MCA Services → Check Company Name. Type the distinctive part of your name, not the whole name with "Private Limited". The results list companies and LLPs with matching or similar names. The search is free and needs no login.
2. Search the trademark registry. Use the free public search on the IP India website to see whether anyone has registered or applied for the same word as a trademark, especially in the classes that match your business.
3. Test the name against the naming rules in the sections below: identical-name rules, undesirable names and words that need approval.
4. Shortlist two names. SPICe+ Part A and RUN both let you propose up to two names in one application, so keep a strong second choice ready.
5. Reserve the name through SPICe+ Part A or RUN for a company, or RUN-LLP for an LLP, and complete incorporation before the reservation expires.

The MCA search result is only a guide. Final approval is given by the Registrar at the Central Registration Centre (CRC) after applying the rules, so a name that does not appear in the search can still be rejected.

What should a company name contain?

A company name usually has three parts:

Part	Example	What it does
Distinctive word	Neelkanth	Makes the name unique. This is the part the Registrar compares with existing names.
Activity word	Food Products	Describes the business. It should match the main objects in the MoA.
Ending required by law	Private Limited	Shows the type of entity.

The ending depends on the structure: a Private Limited Company ends with "Private Limited", a One Person Company ends with "(OPC) Private Limited", and a Limited Liability Partnership ends with "LLP" or "Limited Liability Partnership". The ending, the activity word and words like "India" do not make a name unique. Only the distinctive word does. For tips on choosing a name that is also a strong brand, read Choosing a business name that gets approved.

When is a name treated as the same as an existing one?

Under Rule 8, a proposed name is rejected if it is identical to an existing company or LLP name after ignoring small differences. The Registrar disregards, among other things:

• the type of entity, such as Private Limited, Limited, LLP or OPC;
• singular and plural forms, and different tenses of the same word;
• capital letters, spaces, full stops and other punctuation;
• different spellings that sound the same, and a word written in another language that means the same;
• the order of the words, and words such as "the", "and" or "of";
• web endings such as .com, .in or .org;
• adding the name of a place, such as India, Mumbai or Gujarat; and
• adding a number, such as 1 or 24x7.

Existing company	Proposed name	Result
Green Technology Private Limited	Greens Technologies Private Limited	Same name: plural forms are ignored
ABC Private Limited	A.B.C. Private Limited	Same name: punctuation is ignored
Ascend Solutions Private Limited	Ascending Solutions Private Limited	Same name: tense is ignored
Neelkanth Foods Private Limited	Neelkanth Foods India Private Limited	Same name: adding a place name does not help
Neelkanth Foods LLP	Neelkanth Foods Private Limited	Same name: the entity type is ignored, so a company cannot copy an LLP's name

The one exception: an existing company in the same group can allow a similar name by passing a board resolution, which is attached to the application.

Which names are rejected as undesirable?

Rule 8A lists names that the Registrar will not approve even if no identical name exists. In plain terms, a name is likely to be rejected if it:

• uses a name or emblem protected under the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950, such as the name or symbol of the United Nations or a national emblem;
• includes a registered trademark, or a word that is the subject of a trademark application, unless the trademark owner has given written consent;
• is offensive to any section of people;
• suggests a link with the Government, a foreign government, an embassy or a national leader when there is none;
• is the name of a company dissolved in the last two years, or a name another company gave up through a name change in the last three years;
• uses financial words such as Finance, Capital, Investments or Credit when the business does not carry on those activities;
• is only a place name, or only common descriptive words such as "Software Solutions" with no distinctive word; or
• uses words such as Co-operative, Trust, Society or Partnership, which describe a different legal form.

Which words need special approval?

Some words can be used only with prior approval, or with a declaration that the relevant regulator's requirements are met. Avoid them unless your business genuinely needs them.

Words	What is needed
Board, Commission, Authority, Undertaking, National, Union, Central, Federal, Republic, President, Rashtrapati, Municipal, Panchayat, Court, Statutory, Bureau, Development Authority and similar	Prior approval of the Central Government (Rule 8B)
Bank, Banking	Declaration that Reserve Bank of India requirements are met
Insurance	Declaration that Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) requirements are met
Stock Exchange, Mutual Fund, Venture Capital, Asset Management	Declaration that Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) requirements are met
A person's name, if that person is not a director or shareholder	Written consent of that person

How do you reserve a name: SPICe+ Part A, RUN or RUN-LLP?

	SPICe+ Part A	RUN	RUN-LLP
Used for	New company, reserved as part of the incorporation form	New company, or a name change of an existing company	New LLP, or a name change of an existing LLP
Names per application	Up to 2	Up to 2	Up to 2
Government fee	₹1,000	₹1,000	₹200
If the Registrar asks for changes	One chance to resubmit, within 15 days	One chance to resubmit, within 15 days	One chance to resubmit, within 15 days
Name stays reserved for	20 days	20 days for a new company; 60 days for a name change	90 days

Most founders reserve the name in SPICe+ Part A and then file Part B with the incorporation documents. The lessons Choosing and approving a name (for a company) and The LLP forms: RUN-LLP and FiLLiP explained walk through each form. Reserving first gives you certainty about the name before you print anything or open accounts. For the full journey, read How to Register a Company in India, the LLP Registration step-by-step guide and the OPC Registration step-by-step guide.

How long does a reserved company name stay valid?

A name reserved for a new company is valid for 20 days from approval. If incorporation is not filed in that time, the name lapses and anyone can apply for it. The reservation can be extended for a fee: ₹1,000 for 20 more days, and a further ₹2,000 for another 20 days, so the total period can go up to 60 days. A name reserved by an existing company for a name change is valid for 60 days. A name reserved for an LLP is valid for 90 days.

Why check trademarks even after the MCA approves the name?

MCA approval does not protect you from a trademark owner. Under Section 16 of the Companies Act, 2013, the owner of a registered trademark can apply to the Regional Director within three years of your company's incorporation if your name is identical to or too similar to their trademark. If the Regional Director agrees, the company must change its name within three months of the direction. By then you may have printed stationery, opened bank accounts and built a brand under the old name.

The reverse also matters: an approved company name does not give you trademark rights over your brand. If the name is your brand, consider protecting it through Trademark Registration once the company is formed. The difference is explained in Company name vs Trademark.

What are the most common reasons a name is rejected?

• The distinctive word already exists, with only a plural, a place name or a different ending added.
• The name is made only of common words, such as "Global Business Solutions Private Limited".
• The name clashes with a registered trademark, often a well-known brand.
• A financial or regulated word is used without matching business objects or the regulator's approval.
• The activity word does not match the main objects written in the MoA.

These are among the common avoidable delays in incorporation. For others, read 10 mistakes founders make at Company Registration, and prepare your papers with the documents checklist.

Are the naming rules changing?

In April 2026 the MCA published draft amendments to the name rules for public comment, aiming to make name checks more objective. As of October 2026 these drafts have not been notified, so the rules described above still apply. Check the MCA portal for the current position before you apply.

Key takeaways

• Check the name free on the MCA portal's Check Company Name service, and on the IP India trademark search.
• Only the distinctive word makes a name unique. Plurals, spelling changes, place names, numbers and the entity type are ignored when names are compared.
• Avoid trademarks, government-sounding words and regulated words such as Bank, Insurance or Mutual Fund unless you have the required approval.
• Reserve up to two names in SPICe+ Part A or RUN for a Private Limited Company or OPC (government fee ₹1,000), or RUN-LLP for an LLP (government fee ₹200).
• A new company name stays reserved for 20 days (extendable up to 60 days), and an LLP name for 90 days.
• A trademark owner can force a name change up to three years after incorporation, so check trademarks before you choose.