Business verification in India
VBC certifies businesses registered in India. Verification starts from the official record: in India the company register is maintained by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and the entity is identified by its Corporate Identity Number (CIN) for companies, or LLPIN for limited liability partnerships.
Indian companies carry a 21-character Corporate Identity Number that encodes the listing status, industry, state, year of incorporation and entity type. Proprietorships and partnerships do not have a CIN, so GST registration, Udyam registration and the entity PAN carry more weight in those cases.
Where a business is registered for tax, the GSTIN, and PAN for the entity is reviewed alongside the registration record, since it provides an independent corroborating identifier.
Why Indian businesses certify
India's business population is enormous and highly fragmented, spanning registered companies, LLPs, partnerships and proprietorships, each evidenced differently. For a buyer abroad, telling a substantial Indian supplier from a shell is genuinely hard, which is where an independent record earns its place.
What VBC verifies for a Indian business
Depending on the certification level, the review may cover legal identity and registration records, the registered business address, working contact details, website ownership and digital presence, supporting documentation and evidence of current business activity.
Documents a Indian business commonly supplies at Enhanced level:
- Certificate of Incorporation, or GST registration for unincorporated businesses
- PAN card for the entity
- Udyam registration certificate where the business is an MSME
- Utility bill or rent agreement for the registered office
Levels, fees and process
Three levels apply everywhere VBC operates — Basic at $100 a year, Enhanced at $250, Trusted at $500 — and the eight-stage process is the same in every country. Only the paperwork differs, because each national registry issues its own records. See what each fee covers and the eight stages in detail.
Public verification
Every VBC certificate issued to a Indian business carries a unique certificate ID and appears on the public register. Customers, suppliers and partners can check its current status themselves, without an account and without contacting the business first.
See businesses in India that already hold a VBC certificate.
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Questions from Indian businesses
Can a business registered in India get VBC certified?
Yes. VBC certifies businesses registered in India. Verification is based on records from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, together with the address, contact and digital-presence evidence required at the certification level chosen.
What documents does a Indian business need for VBC certification?
At Enhanced level a Indian business normally supplies: certificate of Incorporation, or GST registration for unincorporated businesses; pAN card for the entity; udyam registration certificate where the business is an MSME; utility bill or rent agreement for the registered office. The GSTIN, and PAN for the entity is normally reviewed alongside it. Exact requirements depend on the level and are confirmed during review.
What is the Corporate Identity Number (CIN) for companies, or LLPIN for limited liability partnerships used for in verification?
The Corporate Identity Number (CIN) for companies, or LLPIN for limited liability partnerships identifies the legal entity on the register maintained by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. VBC uses it to confirm that the business named on the certificate is the same entity that appears on the official record.
How is a VBC certificate for a Indian business verified?
Anyone can check it at https://vbcertified.online/verify using the certificate ID, or by scanning the QR code on the certificate. The record shows the current status, which may be valid, expired, suspended or revoked. No account is needed and the business does not have to be contacted first.
Is VBC certification a business licence in India?
No. VBC is a private verification and certification service, not a government licence, regulatory approval or ISO certification. A business in India remains responsible for every licence, registration and regulatory obligation that applies to it.
How much does VBC certification cost for a Indian business?
The same three levels apply everywhere: Basic at $100 a year, Enhanced at $250 and Trusted at $500. Each level is a superset of the one below it and the level appears on the certificate.