Last verified: 28 September 2026. MCA company incorporation and name-reservation services operate on the MCA21 V3 portal. For a new company, name reservation is handled through SPICe+ Part A. The RUN web service is used for a change of name of an existing company.
Before paying a new supplier, investing in a company, signing a partnership agreement, or incorporating a business, two checks are useful:
- Does the company or LLP already exist, and what is its legal status?
- Is your proposed company name likely to be accepted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)?
These are different checks. A free name search helps you screen a proposed name, but an MCA search result is not the same as formal name approval.
Quick Answer
| What you want to do | Correct 2026 route |
|---|---|
| Verify an existing company/LLP | MCA portal → Master Data / company or LLP search |
| Find CIN/LLPIN and basic public details | MCA Master Data services |
| Reserve a name for a new company | SPICe+ Part A |
| Incorporate with name reservation together | SPICe+ Part A + Part B |
| Change the name of an existing company | RUN (Reserve Unique Name) |
| Reserve an LLP name | RUN-LLP / applicable LLP incorporation workflow |
MCA confirms that companies incorporated from 23 February 2020 onward use SPICe+ for name reservation and incorporation. Its V3 FAQ also states that RUN is the service for an existing company’s change of name.
1. How to Verify an Existing Company or LLP
Go to the official MCA portal Official ↗.
Use the MCA master-data/search services to locate the entity by its name, CIN or LLPIN. Depending on the service and login state, public master data can show information such as:
- legal name;
- Corporate Identification Number (CIN) or LLPIN;
- company/LLP status;
- date of incorporation;
- registered office;
- company category/class;
- authorised and paid-up capital for companies;
- directors or signatory information available through the relevant MCA service;
- filing/master-data information.
Do not verify a business from a screenshot or visiting card alone. Match the legal name and CIN/LLPIN against MCA data.
What does “Active” mean?
An active MCA status generally means the entity has not been shown as struck off or otherwise inactive in the master data. It does not prove that the business is financially sound, GST-compliant, licensed for every activity, or free of litigation.
For vendor due diligence, also verify GST registration, PAN-linked details, licences and contractual authority where relevant.
2. How to Check Company Name Availability
A proposed name should be checked for:
- identical or near-identical existing company names;
- undesirable names under the Companies (Incorporation) Rules;
- restricted words that require approval;
- similarity to an existing registered trademark;
- misleading connection with government, regulators or regulated professions.
MCA’s name rules ignore certain superficial differences when comparing names. For example, punctuation, spacing, plural/singular forms and common entity suffixes may not make an otherwise identical name distinctive.
Practical screening process
Company Name Screening
-
Define the core name
Remove generic words such as Private, Limited, LLP or Group when comparing distinctiveness.
-
Search MCA
Check existing company and LLP names on the MCA portal Official ↗.
-
Search trademarks
Check relevant trademark classes on the IP India public search before filing.
-
Review restricted words
Identify words implying government patronage, regulated professions or activities requiring approval.
-
Choose alternatives
Prepare at least one genuinely distinctive backup name.
-
File formal reservation
Use SPICe+ Part A for a new company.
3. SPICe+ Part A: New Company Name Reservation
For a new company, use SPICe+ Part A.
MCA’s V3 incorporation FAQ states:
- SPICe+ Part A can be filed separately for name reservation or together with Part B for incorporation.
- If Part A is filed separately, up to two proposed names can be submitted.
- One approved name is ordinarily reserved for 20 days from approval.
- If Part A and Part B are filed together, only one proposed name is entered in Part A.
- The separate name-reservation fee is ₹1,000.
MCA also provides paid extensions for a reserved company name within the permitted window.
| Extension | MCA fee stated in V3 FAQ |
|---|---|
| 20 days → 40 days | ₹1,000 |
| 40 days → 60 days | ₹2,000 |
| 20 days → 60 days directly | ₹3,000 |
Always check the live MCA portal before payment because portal workflows can be updated.
4. When Should You Use RUN?
Use RUN (Reserve Unique Name) when an existing company wants to change its name.
This is a common point of confusion. Older articles often tell founders to use RUN for every new company. MCA’s current incorporation workflow instead uses SPICe+ Part A for new-company name reservation.
5. Why MCA Search Alone Is Not Enough
A free search does not create a legal right over the name.
Even if you find no identical company:
- the Central Registration Centre may still consider the name too similar;
- the name may conflict with a registered trademark;
- the proposed words may require sectoral approval;
- the proposed main objects may not support the name;
- the name may be considered misleading or undesirable.
Formal approval is granted only through the applicable MCA filing.
6. Company Name vs Trademark: They Are Different
MCA name approval and trademark protection serve different purposes.
| Check | What it protects/confirms |
|---|---|
| MCA company-name search | Corporate-name availability under company-law rules |
| MCA formal reservation | Temporary approval/reservation for incorporation or name change |
| Trademark search | Potential conflict with marks in relevant goods/services classes |
| Trademark registration | Statutory trademark rights subject to the Trade Marks Act |
A name may pass an MCA search yet still create trademark risk.
7. Common Reasons a Company Name Is Rejected
- Too close to an existing company/LLP name
- Merely changing punctuation or plural/singular form
- Generic business words without distinctiveness
- Trademark conflict
- Restricted/protected words without approval
- Name does not match proposed objects
- Government or institutional association is implied without authority
- Offensive or misleading wording
8. 2026 Checklist Before Filing
- ○ Search the proposed name on MCA
- ○ Search similar spellings and phonetic variants
- ○ Check IP India trademark records
- ○ Review the Companies (Incorporation) Rules on undesirable names
- ○ Prepare a genuinely different backup name
- ○ Ensure proposed objects match the name
- ○ Use SPICe+ Part A for a new company
- ○ Use RUN only for an existing company’s name change
- ○ Save the SRN and approval communication
- ○ File incorporation before the reservation expires
Official Sources
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs — MCA portal Official ↗
- MCA — SPICe+ and Linked Filings FAQs (V3) Official ↗
- MCA — Companies (Incorporation) name rules / Rule 8 material Official ↗
Need Help With Company Incorporation?
TaxQue can assist with name screening, incorporation documentation and MCA filing support.
Information note: MCA portal labels and workflows can change. Use the live MCA portal and current rules for the filing you are making.
