Indian KYB is built on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and its MCA21 portal, which holds structured data for every registered company keyed to the Corporate Identification Number (CIN). The private limited company is the dominant form, and India has unusually strong digital identity infrastructure through Aadhaar and PAN, which makes individual verification efficient even as beneficial ownership requires careful attention.
Business verification (KYB)
First Mile Labs retrieves the MCA21 record by CIN — company status, registered office, directors with their Director Identification Numbers (DIN), and capital structure. Beneficial ownership is established from the significant-beneficial-owner (SBO) filings and shareholding data, reconciled against the application, with ownership followed through Indian holding structures where the data allows.
Identity verification (IDV)
Indian directors and beneficial owners are verified using Aadhaar-based verification, the PAN card, or passport, with document authentication, liveness, and face-match. The platform leverages India's digital identity rails where available and accepts the driving licence and Voter ID as additional documents.
Sanctions, PEP & adverse media (AML)
Indian entities and individuals are screened against the UAPA/MHA designations, UN, OFAC, and further watchlists, with PEP and adverse-media checks running continuously. India's large PEP population makes thorough PEP and adverse-media screening particularly valuable.
From our compliance team
India is a study in contrasts: world-class digital identity through Aadhaar and PAN, paired with corporate structures that can be genuinely opaque. Individual verification is fast and reliable; the hard part is ownership, where layered private holdings and the SBO regime's practical limits mean the register does not always reveal ultimate control. We make full use of the identity rails and treat ownership as the area needing the most scrutiny.
India onboarding — FAQ
What is the CIN?
The Corporate Identification Number is the unique identifier for a registered Indian company. First Mile Labs uses it to retrieve the structured MCA21 record — status, registered office, directors, and capital.
How does India's digital identity infrastructure help verification?
Aadhaar and PAN provide strong, widely held digital identity credentials. The platform uses Aadhaar-based verification and the PAN card alongside the passport, making individual verification fast and reliable.
How is Indian beneficial ownership established?
From the significant-beneficial-owner (SBO) filings and shareholding data, reconciled against the application and followed through holding structures where the data allows, with gaps flagged for review.
Coverage in other markets
Onboarding customers in India?
Book a demo and we'll walk you through a full India case — registry, identity, screening, and decision.
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