CIN - Corporate Identity Number

Corporate Identification Number or CIN acts like an ID for companies registered in India. The 21 digits alphanumeric CIN ID contains the identification and other important details of the number holding companies. The Registrar of Companies or ROC issues the CIN number to all companies registered in India under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The registered companies are required to provide the CIN while making any transaction. Furthermore, the CIN number is used by ROC to track the various activities of the registered companies.

The following are provided with CIN number by the ROC.

• One-person companies
• Public Limited companies or PLC
• Private Limited companies or PTC
• Not-for-profit License companies or NPL
• Nidhi companies
• General Association Public or GAP
• General Association Private or GAL
• Subsidiary of a Foreign Company or FTC
• Companies owned or run by State Government.
• Companies owned or run by the Central Government.

The answer to what is CIN number lies in the component of the number. Here is the list of components that create the CIN number.

• Listing Status: The first alphabetic digit of the CIN number is either ‘L’ or ‘U’. It indicates the company either being ‘Listed’ or ‘Unlisted’.
• Industry Code: The next five numeric numbers after the listing status is the industry code. These numbers are set based on the section, division, group and class; the company belongs to.
• State Code: The next two alphabets after the industry code are state code.
• Year of Incorporation: After the state code comes the year of incorporation which are of 4 digits.
• Ownership Status: The three alphabets that come after the corporation year indicates the ownership status. It can be PLC, PTC, NPL or so on.
• Registration Number: The last six positions are filled with the registration number of the company.

For a better understanding, below lays an example of what is CIN number.

U 54321 MH 2018 NPL 753159 is a CIN number, where

• U indicates the company is unlisted.
• 54321 indicates the industry code of the country.
• MH indicates the company is located in Maharashtra.
• 2018 indicates the company was incorporated in 2018.
• NPL indicates the company being a Not-for-profit License company.
• 753159 indicates the registration number of the company.

CIN no is required by the issuing body, i.e., ROC as well as the CIN holding organizations. The uses of the number are listed as follows:

• ROC tracks every aspect and action of the companies registered with them using the CIN number.
• The unique digit can be used for availing any registered company-related information.
• CIN is used while preparing audits and reports of the companies.
• Any form to be submitted at the Ministry of Corporate Affairs requires the CIN no.
• CIN number is mentioned in the following publications of a company:
• Official publications
• Letterheads
• Notices
• Memos
• Bills
• Invoices

As per the 7(3) section of the Companies Act of 2013, ROC issues the unique 21 digit CIN number after the incorporation of a company. The CIN can be obtained in the following steps.

• Visit the official online portal of Ministry of Corporate Affairs or MCA.
• Find the application form available at the website.
• Fill the form and submit it with other necessary documents.
• The form will then be reviewed.
• Once MCA approves the application, make the payment to receive the CIN number.

Although ROC issues the CIN in the name of the companies when the companies are incorporated, at times CIN number needs to be changed or updated. Under the following circumstances, the CIN number may require change.

• In case of a change in the listing status.
• In case of a change in the state code.
• In case of a change in the industry code.
• In case of a change in the ownership status.
• In case of a change in the Registrar of Companies.

✅What is the meaning of CIN?

CIN refers to the unique Corporate Identification Number issued by ROC to the companies registered under ROC. These 21 alpha-numeric digits help in tracking various aspects and activities of the company.

✅How do I find my CIN number?

You can find your CIN number on the official website of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. On the website, go to the option 'Find CIN' under the head 'Services'. It will lead to a new page. Enter all the required information to fetch the CIN.

✅Is CIN number mandatory?

CIN number is mandatory for all registered companies and is auto-generated by ROC upon incorporation.

✅Is CIN and GSTIN the same?

CIN is the Corporate Identification number allotted to all registered companies under ROC. On the other hand, GSTIN is the identification number registered under GST. Hence, both are different and have different functions.