What is CIN (Corporate Identification Number)

A Corporate Identification Number (CIN) is a unique identification number that is assigned to all companies registered in India. This unique number helps regulators, investors, financial institutions, and other stakeholders identify.

Contents

What is a CIN Number?Understanding the Structure of a CIN Number What Do the Common CIN Abbreviations Mean?Where is the Corporate Incorporation Number Used?What Are the Differences Between CIN and GSTIN?

The Corporate Identification Number (CIN) is an important aspect of a companies. It is essential for all the companies to mention the CIN number on various documents, such as its invoice, notices, cash memo, letterheads, etc.

What is a CIN Number?

A Corporate Identification Number or CIN number is a 21-character alpha-numeric code, जो कि भारत में पंजीकृत कंपनियों को प्रदान किया जाता है। यह कंपनी के लिए unique identifier कि तरह काम करता है। It serves as a company’s official identity for regulatory and compliance purposes.

A CIN is provided to all companies registered in India, including:

Private Limited Companies (PLCs)
One Person Companies (OPCs)
Companies owned by the Government of India
State Government Companies
Not-for-Profit Section 8 Companies
Nidhi Companies, etc.

Understanding the Structure of a CIN Number

Section	Example	Meaning
1st Character	L	Listed or Unlisted Status
Next 5 Digits	01245	Industry Classification
Next 2 Letters	MH	State of Registration
Next 4 Digits	2010	Year of Incorporation
Next 3 Letters	PTC	Company Category
Last 6 Digits	089453	ROC Registration Number

What Do the Common CIN Abbreviations Mean?

Abbreviation	Meaning
PTC	Private Limited Company
PLC	Public Limited Company
OPC	One Person Company
GOI	Government of India Company
SGC	State Government Company
NPL	Section 8 (Not-for-Profit) Company
FTC	Subsidiary of Foreign Company

Where is the Corporate Incorporation Number Used?

Every company that is established in India needs to quote its Corporate Identification Number on various documents which include:

On invoices, bills and receipts
On notice
On memos
On letterheads
Annual reports and audits
Every e-form submission on the MCA portal
Company’s official publications
Any other company publications

What Are the Differences Between CIN and GSTIN?

Particulars	CIN	GSTIN
Full Form	Corporate Identification Number	Goods and Services Tax Identification Number
Governing Law	Companies Act, 2013	Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017
Issuing Authority	Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)	Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
Issued To	Companies registered under the MCA	Businesses registered under GST
Purpose	Company identification for legal compliance	Tax identification for GST transactions
Structure	21-digit alphanumeric code	15-digit alphanumeric code
Information	Listing status, industry or activity, state, year of incorporation, ownership, registration number	State code, PAN, entity number, default value, checksum
Applicability	All companies	Businesses that require GST registration under GST laws, or voluntarily registered businesses
Usage	ROC filings, compliance, legal identity	Invoices, tax filings, input tax credit
Format Example	L79110DL2014PTC856743	29AXCOE8739F1Z5

The CIN is critical for identifying and tracking a company’s activities. It is issued by the Registrar of Companies. It is essential for verifying company information during legal and financial transactions. If you are running a company, having a CIN is crucial.