A company name change in Mumbai follows the national process: reserve the name on MCA's RUN service for ₹1,000, pass a special resolution, then file Form MGT-14 and Form INC-24. The work around it is local. The new name is approved centrally, the company's records stay with ROC Mumbai-I or ROC Mumbai-II depending on its district, and a Mumbai business then has to update its Marathi name board, its Shops and Establishments registration and its Maharashtra tax records.
Who approves a company name change for a Mumbai company?
The proposed name is approved by the Registrar at MCA's Central Registration Centre under rule 9 of the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, and Form INC-24 has been processed at MCA's Central Processing Centre in Manesar since 16 February 2024, according to PIB. No Mumbai office decides either step.
Everything is filed online, and the company's ROC depends on where its registered office sits. Since 16 February 2026, a company registered in Mumbai City or Mumbai Suburban, such as one in Fort, Dadar or Andheri, comes under ROC Mumbai-I. One registered in Thane, Palghar or Raigad, which covers Navi Mumbai, comes under ROC Mumbai-II, headquartered in Navi Mumbai, according to PIB. Renaming a company does not change its ROC; only a change of registered office can do that.
Because RUN is decided centrally, a Mumbai company gets no local advantage in name approval. The main test is whether the name clears MCA's naming rules, which the company name checker tests before you pay the fee.
Company name change in Mumbai: a worked timeline
The legal steps are set out on our company name change service page. What matters in practice is fitting the members' meeting and both MCA forms inside the 60 days for which a name reserved by an existing company stays valid (proviso to section 4(5)(i) of the Companies Act 2013).
Example. Tidewater Trading Private Limited (a made-up company) runs a wholesale business from Masjid Bunder. Its RUN application is approved on 5 November 2026, so the new name is held until 4 January 2027. The board sends notice of a general meeting on 7 November 2026; with 21 clear days, the meeting can be held on 29 November 2026. MGT-14 is then due by 29 December 2026, and INC-24 should be filed before 4 January 2027.
If a majority in number of members, holding at least 95% of the voting paid-up capital, agree to shorter notice under section 101(1), the meeting can come sooner, as it can if a private company's articles set a shorter period. If RUN needs corrections, the 15-day resubmission window under rule 9 delays the approval date, so apply well before the meeting date you have in mind.
What a Mumbai company must update after its name changes
Once the fresh certificate of incorporation is issued, the new name has to appear on everything a Mumbai customer, landlord or inspector sees. Two sets of rules apply to the signboard: the Companies Act and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Rules.
- Marathi name board. Rule 35 of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Rules 2018 requires every establishment's name board in Marathi in Devanagari script, written first, in letters no smaller than any other language.
- Former name for two years. Section 12(3) requires the old name to appear alongside the new one on name boards, letterheads, bills and notices for two years after the change.
- Shops and Establishments certificate. A change of the establishment's name is notified online in Form I within 30 days under rule 10, with a photograph of the Marathi name board.
- GST. The company's Maharashtra registration, whose GSTIN starts with 27, needs the new legal name; Ofin's GST registration in Mumbai team handles the amendment.
- Professional tax. PTRC and PTEC records on the MahaGST portal should carry the new name.
- Trade mark. Applications are filed online with IP India, whose Trade Marks Registry in Mumbai is at Antop Hill. Protect the new name through trademark registration in Mumbai.
- Import and export code. Mumbai exporters update the IEC online with DGFT.
Changing the name and moving the Mumbai office at the same time
Some companies rename when they relocate, for example a studio moving from Bandra to Vashi. The two changes need separate filings, because an MGT-14 for a change of name cannot carry any other purpose, according to MCA's MGT-14 instruction kit.
The address move also has its own approvals. Bandra is under ROC Mumbai-I and Vashi under ROC Mumbai-II, so that shift needs Regional Director confirmation in Form INC-23 before INC-22. One general meeting can pass both special resolutions, but the name change and the registered office change in Mumbai then run on separate tracks, each with its own MCA approval.
Government fees for a company name change in Mumbai
The MCA fees are the same in Mumbai as elsewhere in India: ₹1,000 for RUN, ₹200 to ₹600 for MGT-14 by nominal capital, and an INC-24 fee that the Fees Rules set by authorised capital, lower for OPCs and small companies. Ofin's fee in Mumbai starts at ₹9,999.
Example. A made-up Thane company with ₹1 lakh authorised capital that qualifies as a small company pays ₹1,000 for RUN, ₹300 for MGT-14 and ₹1,000 for INC-24, so ₹2,300 in MCA fees. A new Marathi name board and the Form I update are separate local costs.
For larger companies the INC-24 fee rises with authorised capital, to ₹20,000 above ₹10 crore. Filing MGT-14 after its 30 days adds an additional fee of 2 to 12 times the normal fee.
Common mistakes Mumbai companies make when changing their name
Most problems show up after MCA has approved the name, when the business forgets the Maharashtra side of the change.
- Leaving the old Marathi board up. The Shops and Establishments update needs a photograph of the board, so change it before filing Form I.
- Dropping the old name too soon. Section 12(3) keeps it on boards and stationery for two years.
- Missing the 30-day Form I window. Rule 10 counts from the date of the change.
- Overdue annual filings. Rule 29(1) blocks a change of name while annual returns or financial statements are pending, so file them first.
- Assuming the ROC moved. A rename leaves a company in Ghatkopar with ROC Mumbai-I and one in Kharghar with ROC Mumbai-II.
How Ofin's Mumbai team handles a company name change
Ofin's Mumbai team works from Shanti Bhuvan, Mulund West, and handles name changes across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai 100% online. CAs, CSs and legal professionals check your shortlist, file RUN, draft the resolutions and altered memorandum and articles, file MGT-14 and INC-24, and list the Maharashtra updates that follow. We reply within 24 hours. Fees start at ₹9,999. Send two proposed names to get a fixed-price proposal.
