The short answer
- A Singapore company can be 100% owned from India. It needs one director ordinarily resident in Singapore, a local registered office and a company secretary within six months.
- An Indian company investing makes an overseas direct investment (ODI): board approval, then Form ODI through its bank before the first remittance.
- Resident Indian individuals invest under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (USD 250,000 per person per financial year), with narrower rules on what they can own.
- Decide the year end, the board and who controls the bank before you incorporate. A 31 March year end usually suits an Indian parent.
- Plan both tax systems together: Singapore taxes the company's profits; India taxes dividends when they come home, and can tax the company itself if it is managed from India.
Setting up a Singapore company from India means satisfying two regulators who never talk to each other. ACRA wants a properly formed Singapore company. The RBI, through your Indian bank, wants the money to leave India under the right route and be reported every year after. Do them in the wrong order and you spend months regularising filings. This guide sets out both sides and the sequence that works.
Who is investing?
The answer decides the Indian rules that apply.
| Investor | Indian route | Main limits |
|---|---|---|
| An Indian company or LLP | Overseas direct investment under the Overseas Investment Rules and Regulations, 2022 | Total financial commitment abroad up to 400% of net worth; restrictions on structures that invest back into India |
| Resident Indian individuals | ODI under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme | USD 250,000 per person per financial year; only an operating company, not one in financial services; limits on the Singapore company having its own subsidiaries |
| A mix of both | Each investor follows its own route | Agree who files what before money moves |
The Singapore side
- Shareholders: at least one, individual or corporate, of any nationality. Up to 50 for a private company.
- Directors: at least one ordinarily resident in Singapore (citizen, permanent resident or an eligible pass holder). Directors in India sit alongside.
- Paid-up capital: from S$1. Most India-owned companies start with enough to cover six to twelve months of costs, which also helps bank onboarding.
- Registered office: a Singapore address, not a P.O. box.
- Company secretary: appointed within six months, resident in Singapore, and not the sole director.
- Government fees: S$15 for the name application and S$300 for incorporation.
Documents an Indian corporate shareholder will be asked for
- Certificate of incorporation, MOA and AOA, certified
- Board resolution approving the investment and naming the authorised representative
- Shareholding chart up to the individuals who own or control the Indian company
- PAN, passport and address proof for those individuals and for the proposed directors
- Often, notarised or apostilled copies. India is a party to the Apostille Convention, so apostille is usually the cleaner route
The India side
If an Indian company is the investor
- It is an overseas direct investment (ODI) under the Overseas Investment Rules, 2022.
- Board approval, then Form ODI through its authorised dealer bank before the first remittance. See ODI step by step.
- Its total financial commitment abroad is capped at 400% of its net worth as per its last audited balance sheet.
- Annual reporting follows: the Annual Performance Report by 31 December and the FLA return by 15 July.
If resident Indian individuals are the investors
- They invest under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (USD 250,000 per person per financial year). Tax collected at source applies on remittances above the annual threshold and is credited in the individual's return.
- The rules for individuals are narrower. An individual's ODI must be in an operating company, not one engaged in financial services, and there are limits where the Singapore company has subsidiaries of its own. Check the structure with your Indian CA before you incorporate.
- Each individual reports the shares in Schedule FA of their Indian return every year.
The order that works
| Week | Singapore | India |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agree structure, shareholding, year end and directors | Indian CA confirms the ODI or LRS route and any limits |
| 2 | Due diligence documents collected; name reserved | Board resolution of the Indian investor |
| 2 to 3 | Incorporation filed; UEN received | ODI documents prepared for the bank |
| 3 to 6 | Bank account application, Corppass set up | Form ODI filed through the bank; UIN received |
| Once the account is open | Capital received, shares issued, register of members updated | Remittance made; share certificate sent to the bank as evidence within six months |
Two things slow most projects: apostilled documents for the Indian shareholder, and the Singapore bank account. Start both on day one.
Tax, in one paragraph each
Singapore taxes the company's profits at 17%, reduced by the partial exemption. An India-owned subsidiary usually cannot use the start-up exemption because it has no individual shareholder: see corporate tax for new companies.
India does not tax the Singapore company's profits while they stay in Singapore, with one large exception. If key management and commercial decisions are in substance made in India, the company can be treated as Indian resident under the POEM test and taxed in India on its worldwide income. See POEM and substance.
Getting money back to India is a separate decision. Dividends carry no Singapore withholding tax but are taxed in India: see dividends from Singapore to India.
The calendar for both countries
| Filing | Country | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated Chargeable Income | Singapore | 3 months after year end |
| Annual return with financial statements | Singapore | 7 months after year end |
| Corporate tax return | Singapore | 30 November |
| FLA return | India (Indian investor) | 15 July |
| Annual Performance Report | India (Indian investor) | 31 December |
| Transfer pricing report on intercompany transactions | India (Indian parent) | With the Indian tax audit timetable |
With a 31 March year end in both countries, one close feeds every filing. See the full compliance calendar.
Thinking about a nominee director? Only an ACRA-registered corporate service provider may arrange one, after fit and proper checks, and nominee status is now disclosed to ACRA. If the company will claim treaty benefits, a real Singapore-based director matters more than a nominee.
Questions people ask
Can an Indian company own 100% of a Singapore company?
Yes. The Singapore company still needs one director ordinarily resident in Singapore. On the India side, the Indian company makes an overseas direct investment and files Form ODI through its bank before the first remittance.
Can Indian resident individuals invest directly?
Yes, under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (USD 250,000 per person per financial year), but the rules for individuals are narrower, including limits on investing in financial services and on layering subsidiaries. Check the structure with an Indian CA first.
How long does it take to set up a Singapore company from India?
Incorporation itself takes days once documents are ready. Allow three to six weeks in total, mainly for apostilled documents from India, the ODI bank filing and the Singapore bank account.
Does India tax the profits of a Singapore subsidiary?
Not while they stay in Singapore, unless the company is effectively managed from India and becomes Indian resident under the POEM test. Dividends paid to India are taxed in India.
Talk it through with an adviser
Tell us your structure and deadlines. We reply with what applies to you and a fixed-fee proposal.
Sources
- ACRA: Submitting your application to set up a local company
- RBI: Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Rules, 2022
- RBI: Master Direction, Overseas Investment (updated 1 April 2026)
General information only, last reviewed 11 November 2026. It is not advice for your situation. Laws and practice change, and the official sources linked above prevail. Speak to a qualified adviser before you act. Northwise does not file with Indian authorities; India-side work is done by independent licensed firms.