A CIN (Corporate Identity Number) is the unique 21-character alphanumeric number the Registrar of Companies assigns to every company incorporated in India. It encodes listing status, industry code, state, year of incorporation, type of company and a registration number. Verify it free on mca.gov.in under MCA Services > Master Data > View Company or LLP Master Data.
How to read a CIN
Take a hypothetical CIN, U74999MH2018PTC123456. It breaks down like this:
| Part | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Listing status (1) | U | U = unlisted, L = listed on a stock exchange |
| Industry code (5) | 74999 | NIC code of the main business activity at registration |
| State (2) | MH | State or UT of the registered office at registration |
| Year (4) | 2018 | Year of incorporation |
| Ownership (3) | PTC | PTC private, PLC public, OPC one person, GOI/SGC government, FTC/FLC foreign subsidiary, NPL section 8 |
| Registration no. (6) | 123456 | Serial number given by the ROC |
If the company later shifts its registered office to another state or converts from private to public, the CIN can change. Always use the current CIN on MCA, not one copied from an old invoice.
Where to find a buyer's CIN
- The buyer's letterhead, purchase order, invoice or website footer, where Section 12 of the Companies Act requires it to appear
- The MCA portal: search the company name on the master data page and the CIN appears with the record
- Filed documents and annual reports of listed companies
The GST certificate does not show the CIN, but it does show the legal name. Match that name with the MCA record. A mismatch often means you are dealing with a group company, a proprietorship using a similar name, or a firm that is not the company you think it is. Check the GSTIN on FundRaksha Trust and the CIN on MCA.
How to verify a CIN on MCA
- Open mca.gov.in and go to MCA Services > Master Data > View Company or LLP Master Data.
- Enter the CIN (or company name), fill the captcha and submit.
- Check that the name, registered office and status match what the buyer told you.
- Note the status: active, active non-compliant, under process of striking off, strike off, dormant, under liquidation and so on.
Why the CIN matters for credit and recovery
The CIN ties every document to one legal entity. Put the buyer's CIN on your quotation, agreement and invoice, so that there is no later argument that the order was placed by a sister company. In a legal notice, a Section 138 complaint, a summary suit or an IBC application, the company is identified by its name and CIN, and the IBC forms ask for the CIN of the corporate debtor.
The year in the CIN also helps a credit decision. A company formed three months ago asking for 90 days' credit on a large order deserves more checks than one trading for fifteen years. FundRaksha Legal uses the CIN and registered office from MCA in every notice to a company.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-20. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.