FEMA rules restrict Indian residents from directly holding control-level stock in a foreign company that will itself have a subsidiary. Holding through a personal Indian LLP or registered partnership satisfies the requirement.

Each owner has their own vehicle, containing only them and family members. More on FEMA and residency.

Stripe for the US entity formation fees.

Inkle for the India entity formation fees.

Stripe Atlas handles the US entity incorporation (Inkle can give guidance, although Atlas is actually a self-serve platform).

Inkle handles the India entities formation through our platform, backed by a network of experienced partner CA/CS firms in India.

With the US company as parent: one Indian LLP per owner, a Delaware C-Corp, and an Indian private limited subsidiary.

With the Indian company as parent: an Indian private limited company holding a Delaware C-Corp or LLC. Our comparison of the two covers which to pick, and it is hard to change later.

US topco: LLPs take about a month to create (formation, getting a bank account, starting the ODI process). Then the paperwork for the US parent takes just minutes to handle. Subsequently setting up a wholly owned subsidiary in India (a private limited company) takes about another month or so.

India topco: setting up a India Private Limited (Pvt Ltd) company takes a few weeks to do fully. The US subsidiary just takes a few minutes. Wiring the ODI payment from the Indian parent to US subsidiary takes a week or two more.

A brand name, your entity names, and confirmation that neither conflicts with an existing US or Indian trademark or a similarly named entity.

The brand name and entity names do not have to match, and usually do not. Entity names also have to meet the naming rules of each jurisdiction. More on choosing a name.

Inkle is Stripe's India Cross-border Compliance Partner for the purpose of helping Indian resident founders use Stripe's Atlas product. We give end-to-end guidance and help smothen the process. Stripe Atlas is actually a self-serve product, so you don't need Inkle, but we're always here to help.

Yes Inkle has already partnered with dozens of Indian CA/CS firms to help them help their clients with US+India incorporations. Inkle does not offer India entity maintenance services.

Yes. Inkle has built Inkle Practice specifically for non-US CA/CS and law firms to access the platform and collaborate with our shared customers.

Book a meeting using the button at the top of this page, and we'll get you started.

Indian CA/CS/law firms can direct their customers to this page, or handle the process for them end-to-end. We will need certain documents/details from the founders, which can be routed through you.

Nothing. Inkle is free for you. Your end customers will pay Inkle and Stripe the normal rack rates. You can charge your customers whatever fees you wish. Alternatively, you can add your fees on top and quote a combined fee to your customers.

The holding structure where each India-resident owner holds US company stock through a personal Indian LLP, with the US entity sitting above an Indian subsidiary.

It exists because FEMA restricts Indian residents from holding control-level stock directly in a foreign company with a step-down subsidiary. More on holding structures.