How to Register a Hotel or Restaurant Business in India
In short
Opening a hotel, resort, restaurant or cafe? Cloud kitchen and catering business founders also need to decide who owns the business and how it will grow. Compare Private Limited, LLP and OPC before registering your hospitality company.
Website calculation period: Financial-year research starts on 1 April 2016 (FY 2016–17). January–March 2016 is excluded from website research calculations. Each full financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March. FY 2021–22 has three missing source months; FY 2026–27 covers April–September 2026 only. Missing months are not estimated.
For a hotel and restaurant business in India, compare Pvt Ltd for share-based ownership and equity funding, LLP for partner-owned operations, and OPC for a sole owner seeking a company structure. Opening a hotel, resort, restaurant or cafe? Cloud kitchen and catering business founders also need to decide who owns the business and how it will grow. Compare Private Limited, LLP and OPC before registering your hospitality company. The figures cover available records from 1 April 2016 to 30 September 2026; the scope below explains what is included.
Sector Registrations in India: Private Limited, LLP and OPC
What the table covers: Hotels and restaurants / accommodation and food services: legacy division 55 and newer divisions 55–56. Legacy two-digit LLP records do not consistently separate hotels from restaurants, so this is a combined hospitality table. Food manufacturing is covered separately.
| Financial year | Private Limited |
LLP | OPC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2016–17 | 1,339 (63.22%) |
733 (34.61%) |
46 (2.17%) |
2,118 |
| FY 2017–18 | 1,579 (59.54%) |
1,016 (38.31%) |
57 (2.15%) |
2,652 |
| FY 2018–19 | 2,159 (69.94%) |
831 (26.92%) |
97 (3.14%) |
3,087 |
| FY 2019–20 | 2,565 (59.78%) |
1,594 (37.15%) |
132 (3.08%) |
4,291 |
| FY 2020–21 | 2,259 (61.86%) |
1,279 (35.02%) |
114 (3.12%) |
3,652 |
| FY 2021–22 9 source months |
2,161 (60.65%) |
1,279 (35.90%) |
123 (3.45%) |
3,563 |
| FY 2022–23 | 3,916 (64.47%) |
1,964 (32.33%) |
194 (3.19%) |
6,074 |
| FY 2023–24 | 5,317 (59.31%) |
3,323 (37.07%) |
325 (3.63%) |
8,965 |
| FY 2024–25 | 5,451 (57.21%) |
3,748 (39.34%) |
329 (3.45%) |
9,528 |
| FY 2025–26 | 6,977 (56.39%) |
4,953 (40.03%) |
443 (3.58%) |
12,373 |
| FY 2026–27 Apr–Sep 2026 |
3,661 (51.45%) |
3,235 (45.46%) |
220 (3.09%) |
7,116 |
What Do the Registration Figures Show?
In FY 2026–27 (1 April to 30 September 2026), the stated activity scope contains 7,116 classified registrations: 3,661 Private Limited, 3,235 LLP and 220 OPC. These are six-month incorporation records within the stated scope, not a full-year result or evidence of business success.
Private Limited or LLP for a Hotel, Restaurant or Cafe?
Consider ownership of the operating business separately from ownership or leasing of the premises. Partners managing a restaurant can compare LLP and company arrangements; a hospitality brand planning equity investment or multiple outlets should assess share-based ownership.
OPC for a Cloud Kitchen or Solo Hospitality Founder?
A solo founder can assess an OPC, while allowing for plans to introduce another owner or investor. Restaurant, catering and cloud kitchen registrations in the table are captured only where the source activity falls within the selected hospitality codes.
Which Business Structure Should You Choose?
Private Limited: assess when share-based ownership and outside equity investment are planned. LLP: assess partnership-based ownership and partner-funded operations. OPC: assess for a sole owner seeking a company structure, allowing for future ownership changes.
Compare ownership, funding, taxation and ongoing compliance costs before deciding. Registration popularity is useful context; your business plans should guide the choice.
Related reading: Private Limited vs LLP vs OPC and Can an LLP raise investment?
Coverage notes: Calculations use MCA monthly incorporation reporting periods from 1 April 2016 to 30 September 2026. FY 2021–22 is missing November 2021, January 2022 and March 2022. FY 2026–27 covers April–September 2026 only. Records without usable activity codes are excluded from sector allocation, including LLP records in October 2018 without activity codes. Code definitions changed over time; the stated legacy/newer scope is retained. No missing records are estimated. The sector table includes Private Limited, LLP and OPC only; Public/Other Companies, Foreign Companies, Proprietorships and ordinary Partnerships are excluded. Private Limited excludes OPC. These sector tables are not the Company-only state tables, which exclude LLPs.
Source: Our analysis of 126 distinct MCA monthly incorporation workbooks analysed for this research, reaggregated by financial year on 18 October 2026 and deduplicated by CIN/LLPIN. Activity definitions reference NIC 2004 and NIC 2008.
Hotel and restaurant registration: common questions
How do I register a hotel and restaurant business in India?
For a company, use the MCA incorporation process; for an LLP, use the LLP incorporation process and prepare the LLP agreement. See the Documents Required for Company Registration in India: PVT LTD and OPC or LLP Registration in India: Process, Documents, Costs and Agreement. Check activity-specific operating requirements separately.
Does cloud kitchen company registration appear in this table?
A cloud kitchen, catering venture or restaurant can be classified under food services. The combined table cannot isolate each business model.
Which structure suits a restaurant with multiple owners?
Compare partner-based ownership with share-based ownership, particularly when introducing investors or opening additional locations.
A practical example for your structure decision
A restaurant opened by partners should agree who owns the brand, who operates the outlet and how expansion will be funded. A sole founder assessing an OPC should consider plans for future co-owners or franchise partners.
Data checked: 8 October 2026. The figures describe available incorporation records; they do not measure active businesses or explain founders’ reasons for choosing a structure.
Choose your specific business
Open the guide for your business to compare ownership, approvals and annual costs. Broader-sector statistics are clearly labelled where exact business counts are unavailable.
Browse business registration guides by industry and business type to explore related businesses and compare registration structures.
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