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Bengaluru, Karnataka

Cloud kitchen

I want to start a cloud kitchen in Bengaluru with my cousin. We will cook North Indian food and sell it on Swiggy and Zomato. We have about 5 lakh to put in.

Steps required
10
Total cost
Rs 16,631
Realistic time
11–33 days

Time is the critical path, not the sum of every step — independent registrations genuinely run in parallel.

Your path, in order

Each step lists what it costs, how long it takes, and the law it comes from.

  1. 1. Digital Signature Certificate for each director

    Required

    Each of your 2 directors needs one before any filing can be signed.

    Cost
    Rs 3,000
    Takes
    1–3 working days
    What this involves ▸

    A Class 3 digital signature, one per director. Every MCA form is signed with it, so nothing else can start until these exist.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Aadhaar
    • Passport photo
    • Address proof

    If you skip it

    You cannot sign or submit any MCA form. The entire incorporation is blocked.

    Fee note: Rs 1,500 per director x 2, paid to a licensed certifying agency rather than the government

    Under Information Technology Act 2000, s.35; Companies (Incorporation) Rules 2014 · Filed on Licensed Certifying Authority (eMudhra, Sify, VSign and others)

  2. 2. Reserve your company name (SPICe+ Part A)

    Required

    Your name must be approved before the incorporation form can be filed against it.

    Cost
    Rs 1,000
    Takes
    1–3 working days
    After
    step 1
    See this form already filled in →
    What this involves ▸

    Propose up to two names and have the Registrar approve one. An approved name is held for 20 days.

    If you skip it

    Rejection is the most common early delay. Names too close to an existing company or trademark are refused, and the fee is not refunded.

    Fee note: per name application

    Under Companies Act 2013, s.4(4); Companies (Incorporation) Rules 2014, Rule 9 · Filed on MCA21 V3

  3. 3. File for incorporation (SPICe+ Part B with AGILE-PRO-S)

    Required

    This single form does the work of eight separate registrations. Your registered office in Karnataka determines which Registrar handles it.

    Cost
    Free
    Takes
    7–15 working days
    After
    step 2
    What this involves ▸

    One filing that creates the company and, in the same submission, applies for DIN, PAN, TAN, EPFO, ESIC, professional tax and a bank account.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Aadhaar
    • Passport photo
    • Proof of business address
    • Recent utility bill
    • No-objection letter from the owner
    • MOA and AOA

    If you skip it

    No Certificate of Incorporation, so the company legally does not exist.

    Fee note: no filing fee when authorised capital is Rs 15 lakh or less; state stamp duty still applies

    Under Companies Act 2013, s.7; SPICe+ (INC-32) with AGILE-PRO-S (INC-35) and INC-9 · Filed on MCA21 V3

  4. 4. FSSAI food licence

    Required

    At Rs 18 L expected turnover you need the State tier. Basic registration only covers you up to Rs 12 lakh, so applying for Basic would mean re-applying within the year. This tier needs a water test report and a food safety plan.

    Cost
    Rs 2,000
    Takes
    7–30 working days
    What this involves ▸

    Every food business needs one. Which of the three tiers you need is decided by your turnover, not by how big your kitchen feels.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Passport photo
    • Proof of business address
    • Water test report
    • Food safety plan
    • List of products

    If you skip it

    Operating without an FSSAI licence carries a penalty up to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment up to six months. No delivery platform will list you.

    Fee note: Basic Rs 100/yr; State Rs 2,000-5,000/yr; Central Rs 7,500/yr

    Under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, s.31; FSS (Licensing and Registration) Regulations 2011 · Filed on FoSCoS

  5. 5. Municipal trade licence

    Required

    Food premises need a trade licence from the local body in Bengaluru. This one is genuinely local -- the process differs between cities in the same state, which is exactly why founders get stuck here.

    Cost
    Rs 5,000
    Takes
    7–30 working days
    What this involves ▸

    Permission from your city corporation to run a food business at that specific address.

    You will need

    • Proof of business address
    • Rent agreement
    • No-objection letter from the owner
    • PAN card

    If you skip it

    The corporation can seal the premises and levy a penalty for each day of operation.

    Fee note: varies sharply by city, premises area and category

    Under State Municipal Corporation Act (city-specific); e.g. Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act 1976, s.353 · Filed on City municipal corporation portal

  6. 6. Fire safety NOC for the kitchen

    Required

    Commercial cooking in Karnataka means open flame and gas cylinders on the premises. Small kitchens are often below the mandatory threshold, but your landlord's insurer and any delivery platform audit will ask for it regardless.

    Cost
    Rs 2,000
    Takes
    10–30 working days
    What this involves ▸

    Required once your premises pass a size or occupancy threshold set by the state fire service.

    You will need

    • Proof of business address
    • Rent agreement

    If you skip it

    Insurance claims can be refused, and the fire service can order closure.

    Fee note: varies by premises area

    Under State Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Act (state-specific) · Filed on State fire and emergency services portal

  7. 7. Shops and Establishment registration

    Required

    You have premises in Karnataka, so the state labour department needs them on record. Banks frequently ask for this certificate before opening a current account.

    Cost
    Rs 1,000
    Takes
    3–15 working days
    What this involves ▸

    A state registration for your place of business. Required almost everywhere you have premises, and often asked for when opening a current account.

    You will need

    • Proof of business address
    • Rent agreement
    • PAN card
    • Passport photo

    If you skip it

    State-level fines, and a current account application that stalls for want of proof of establishment.

    Fee note: varies by state and headcount

    Under State Shops and Commercial Establishments Act (varies by state) · Filed on State labour department portal

  8. 8. Company PAN and TAN

    Required

    Already bundled into your incorporation filing. Listed here so you know it is handled and do not pay someone to do it again.

    Cost
    Rs 131
    Takes
    Automatic
    After
    step 3
    What this involves ▸

    Issued automatically with your Certificate of Incorporation. You do not apply separately.

    If you skip it

    Not applicable. This cannot be skipped or forgotten separately.

    Fee note: collected within the SPICe+ filing

    Under Income-tax Act 1961, s.139A and s.203A; issued via SPICe+

  9. 9. Professional tax registration

    Required

    Karnataka levies professional tax, so you need an employer enrolment. Many states -- Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh among them -- do not levy it at all.

    Cost
    Rs 2,500
    Takes
    2–10 working days
    What this involves ▸

    A state tax on employment. Levied in some states and not in others -- one of the most common things founders are wrongly told they need.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Proof of business address

    If you skip it

    Interest and penalty on arrears from the date the liability began.

    Fee note: annual employer enrolment, varies by state and salary slab

    Under State Professions, Trades, Callings and Employments Act (state-specific) · Filed on State commercial tax portal

  10. 10. Open a current account

    Required

    A current account is pre-applied inside AGILE-PRO-S, but you still choose the bank. That choice is worth two minutes -- minimum balance requirements differ by an order of magnitude between banks.

    Cost
    Free
    Takes
    2–10 working days
    After
    step 8
    What this involves ▸

    The final step. Your company cannot legally receive revenue into a personal account.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Aadhaar
    • Proof of business address
    • Board resolution

    If you skip it

    You cannot invoice, receive payments or demonstrate clean books to an investor.

    Fee note: no government fee; banks set their own minimum balance

    Under RBI Master Direction on KYC, 2016 (as amended)

  11. 11. Trademark your brand name

    Worth doing

    This is the gap that surprises founders most: an approved company name stops another company registering the same name, but it does not stop anyone trading under your brand. Startups and MSMEs file at the reduced fee.

    Cost
    Rs 4,500
    Takes
    180–540 working days
    What this involves ▸

    Registering your company at MCA does not protect your brand. Only a trademark does.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • List of products

    If you skip it

    Someone else can register your brand name and force you to rebrand.

    Fee note: per class, e-filing, at the concessional rate for startups and MSMEs

    Under Trade Marks Act 1999, s.18; Trade Marks Rules 2017 · Filed on IP India Portal

  12. 12. Udyam (MSME) registration

    Worth doing

    It costs nothing and takes about ten minutes. The statutory 45-day payment protection alone is worth it if you invoice larger companies.

    Cost
    Free
    Takes
    Automatic
    After
    step 8
    What this involves ▸

    Free, takes minutes, and unlocks protection against late payment from larger buyers plus cheaper credit.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Aadhaar

    If you skip it

    You forgo MSME credit schemes and the delayed-payment protection under the MSMED Act.

    Under Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act 2006, s.8 · Filed on Udyam Registration Portal

  13. 13. Startup India (DPIIT) recognition

    Optional

    Free to apply. The main benefit is the section 80-IAC tax holiday, which only matters once you are profitable.

    Cost
    Free
    Takes
    3–15 working days
    After
    step 3
    What this involves ▸

    Recognition that unlocks a three-year income tax holiday, self-certification on labour laws and cheaper trademark filing.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Board resolution

    If you skip it

    You lose access to the tax holiday and the angel tax exemption.

    Under DPIIT Notification G.S.R. 127(E) dated 19 February 2019 · Filed on Startup India Portal

What you do not need yet

3 things you would likely be sold anyway. Each shows the exact condition that would change the answer.

  1. 14. GST registration

    Not yet

    Good news -- you do not need this yet. For restaurant and other notified services sold through a platform, section 9(5) makes the platform pay the GST, and Notification 65/2017 keeps your threshold exemption intact below Rs 20 L. A consultant would still sell you a registration.

    This changes when: You cross your turnover threshold, start selling goods through a marketplace, or make your first inter-state or export supply.

    See this form already filled in →
    What this involves ▸

    Registration under GST. Whether you need it depends on what you sell, where you sell it, and how much -- not simply on being a company.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Aadhaar
    • Passport photo
    • Proof of business address
    • Bank statement
    • Rent agreement

    If you skip it

    Trading without a required registration attracts a penalty of Rs 10,000 or the tax due, whichever is higher, and marketplaces will not onboard you.

    Fee note: no government fee

    Under CGST Act 2017, s.22 and s.24; s.9(5); Notification 65/2017-CT; Notification 34/2023-CT · Filed on GST Portal

  2. 15. Provident Fund (EPFO) registration

    Not yet

    You have 3 employees. This starts at 20, so it is not your problem yet -- but the registration is already pre-applied inside your SPICe+ filing.

    This changes when: Your headcount reaches 20.

    What this involves ▸

    Becomes compulsory once you employ 20 or more people.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Proof of business address
    • Bank statement

    If you skip it

    Damages and interest on unpaid contributions, backdated to when you crossed the threshold.

    Under Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952, s.1(3) · Filed on EPFO Unified Portal

  3. 16. Employee State Insurance (ESIC) registration

    Not yet

    You have 3 employees. This starts at 10 in most states.

    This changes when: Your headcount reaches 10.

    What this involves ▸

    Becomes compulsory once you employ 10 or more people.

    You will need

    • PAN card
    • Proof of business address

    If you skip it

    Penalties plus liability for any employee medical claim that ESI would have covered.

    Under Employees State Insurance Act 1948, s.2A and s.1(5) · Filed on ESIC Portal

Your business bank account

You need an account in the business's own name before you can be paid in it. A company also cannot file its declaration of commencement of business until the subscription money is sitting in that account, so it is not a step to leave for later. Here is the shape of account to look for, and why.

What your business needs from an account

  • At your expected scale, money sitting idle to satisfy a minimum balance is money not in the business. Start on a zero or low balance account and move up only if you outgrow it.
  • You handle physical cash, so branch and cash-deposit limits matter more than app quality. Digital-first banks charge sharply once you cross their cash limits.
  • You sell online, so pick a bank your payment gateway settles into cleanly — it saves a reconciliation headache every single month.

Read from your profile — this is everything the shortlist is built on

  • Zero or low balance account
  • Branch and cash handling matter
  • No overseas receipts
  • Payment gateway settlements
  • Modest transaction volume

Where to start looking

These 3 came closest on your criteria, ordered by how many each one meets — not by which is better. It is a shortlist, not the whole field: other banks would serve you too, and every one of these still runs its own checks before it agrees to open an account.

  • HDFC Bank

    Business current account (startup variants available)

    Private sector
    Average balance
    Rs 10,000 – Rs 50,000

    Matched your profile on

    • Branch and cash-handling reach
    • Payment gateway integration

    Strengths

    • Widest merchant and payment-gateway integration in the market
    • Concessional variants for DPIIT-recognised startups

    Tradeoffs

    • Standard tiers carry meaningful balance requirements

  • IDFC FIRST Bank

    Zero-balance current account

    Private sector
    Average balance
    Up to Rs 10,000

    Matched your profile on

    • Payment gateway integration
    • No minimum balance to start

    Strengths

    • Zero or very low average balance requirement on entry-level current accounts
    • Fully digital onboarding, usually without a branch visit

    Tradeoffs

    • Thinner branch network outside metros
    • Cash deposit limits are tighter than at a public sector bank

  • Kotak Mahindra Bank

    Digital-first current account

    Private sector
    Average balance
    Up to Rs 25,000

    Matched your profile on

    • Payment gateway integration
    • No minimum balance to start

    Strengths

    • Strong digital banking and clean API access for reconciliation
    • Entry tiers with little or no balance requirement

    Tradeoffs

    • Charges climb quickly on higher tiers
    • Cash handling is not its strength

How this list was put together

We have no commercial relationship with any bank here. Nothing on this page is an affiliate link, nobody paid for placement, and no bank is contacted or sent your details. The order comes only from the criteria above, which is why they are shown.

Balance requirements, fee schedules and cash limits change often, and they vary by branch and by which variant of an account you are offered. Every figure here is an indicative band to start the conversation with — confirm the current terms in writing before you open the account.

What is real and what is simulated ▸

Real, and running right now

  • The compliance rules engine. This roadmap was computed from your inputs, not selected from a template.
  • Every legal citation, fee and timeline shown — hand-authored and checked against source.
  • Rule packs used: common v1.0.0, food_beverage v1.0.0.

Simulated for this prototype

  • DigiLocker. A real integration requires organisational onboarding as a registered requestor through API Setu.
  • The MCA and GST portal screens. These are our own replicas — no government system is contacted at any point.
  • All identity documents and reference numbers.

Not built yet

  • Actual submission to any government portal.
  • Post-incorporation compliance calendar.
  • Guided filing for sectors other than food and beverage.

Fees and timelines are indicative and change. Every step links to the statute it comes from so you can check us.

This is one of four worked examples. Describe your own business to get a roadmap built from your actual situation.