ROC Approval Forms under the Companies Act, 2013
Updated: 16 September 2026
Companies may need to file an application or webform with the Registrar of Companies (ROC), a Regional Director (RD), or the Central Government for specified corporate actions under the Companies Act, 2013 and the rules made under it. The correct form depends on the transaction and the statutory provision governing it.
Key approval and application forms
| Form | Purpose | Authority / legal context |
|---|---|---|
| INC-18 | Application for conversion of a Section 8 company into a company of another kind. | Application to the Regional Director under the Companies Act, 2013 and the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014. |
| INC-23 | Application for approval to shift the registered office from one State to another, or from the jurisdiction of one Registrar to another Registrar within the same State, where applicable. | Application to the Regional Director. Inter-State shifting is governed principally by Section 13 and the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014. |
| INC-24 | Application for approval of change of company name after the required corporate approvals and name reservation process. | Section 13(2) requires Central Government approval for change of name, subject to statutory exceptions, read with the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014. |
| INC-6 | Application for conversion involving a One Person Company (OPC) and a private/public company, as permitted by the applicable rules. | Filed with the ROC under the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014. |
| MSC-1 | Application for obtaining dormant company status. | Section 455 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the Companies (Miscellaneous) Rules, 2014; application is made to the Registrar. |
| MSC-4 | Application by a dormant company for obtaining active status. | Section 455 and the Companies (Miscellaneous) Rules, 2014; the Registrar may issue the prescribed certificate allowing active status. |
| STK-2 | Application by a company for voluntary removal of its name from the register after satisfying the statutory conditions. | Section 248(2) read with Rule 4 of the Companies (Removal of Names of Companies from the Register of Companies) Rules, 2016. The MCA process uses C-PACE for eligible voluntary strike-off applications. |
| ADJ | Memorandum of appeal against an order of the adjudicating officer, where the statutory appeal mechanism applies. | Used in the adjudication-of-penalties framework under the Companies Act, 2013 and applicable rules. |
Forms requiring Regional Director approval
Form INC-18 - conversion of a Section 8 company
Section 8 deals with companies formed for charitable or other specified not-for-profit objects and operating subject to the licence conditions prescribed by law. Form INC-18 is the application to the Regional Director for conversion of a Section 8 company into a company of another kind. The MCA V3 workflow also provides for the associated electronic memorandum and articles, where applicable.
Form INC-23 - shifting of registered office
Form INC-23 is used for Regional Director approval for specified changes in the registered office, including shifting from one State to another and, where the rules require approval, shifting from the jurisdiction of one Registrar to another Registrar within the same State. For an inter-State shift, Section 13 governs alteration of the memorandum and requires compliance with the prescribed procedure.
Central Government approval for change of name
Form INC-24
Under Section 13(2), a change in the name of a company generally does not take effect without the approval of the Central Government in writing, except in the statutory situation involving addition or deletion of the word "Private" consequent upon conversion of one class of company into another. Form INC-24 is the prescribed application used for the approval process. The change becomes effective in accordance with the Act after the Registrar issues a fresh certificate of incorporation reflecting the new name.
ROC applications for conversion and company status
Form INC-6 - OPC and private/public company conversion
Form INC-6 is the webform for permitted conversion involving a One Person Company and a private or public company. The applicable eligibility conditions and supporting filings should be checked under the current Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014 before filing.
Form MSC-1 - dormant company status
Section 455 permits an eligible company formed and registered for a future project, to hold an asset or intellectual property without significant accounting transactions, or otherwise qualifying under the provision and rules, to seek dormant status. Form MSC-1 is the application to the Registrar under the Companies (Miscellaneous) Rules, 2014. Eligibility conditions in the rules must be satisfied.
Form MSC-4 - return to active status
A dormant company seeking active status applies in Form MSC-4. After considering the application, the Registrar may issue the prescribed certificate allowing the company to become active.
Voluntary strike-off: STK-2 replaced the old FTE route
The old Fast Track Exit or "FTE" form is not the current route for voluntary strike-off. Section 248(2) permits a company, after extinguishing all liabilities and subject to the statutory restrictions, to apply for removal of its name. The current application is Form STK-2 under Rule 4 of the Companies (Removal of Names of Companies from the Register of Companies) Rules, 2016. MCA operates the C-PACE process for eligible voluntary closure applications.
Legacy Form 23C is outdated
Older references may state that Form 23C is an application to the Central Government for appointment of a cost auditor. That reference belongs to the earlier Companies Act, 1956 regime and should not be presented as a current Companies Act, 2013 approval form. Cost-audit compliance now follows the Companies Act, 2013, the Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Rules, 2014 and the current MCA forms applicable to cost auditors and cost audit reporting.
Before filing any approval form
Confirm the latest version of the webform, the governing section and rule, filing fee, attachments, digital-signature requirements, prerequisite forms and processing authority on the MCA portal. MCA forms and workflows are periodically migrated or revised, so a historical form description should not be used as a substitute for the current instruction kit.
Official resources: Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and MCA Instruction Kit for Form STK-2.