How to Check Whether a Company Is Active or Compliant on MCA

Before doing any business transaction or investment, it is essential to ensure that the company under consideration is an active company complying with the relevant regulatory requirements.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) offers a website where anyone can check the master data and filing history of a company along with some of its compliance requirements.

In this blog, we will discuss how to check the company’s compliance status on MCA, what details need to be verified, and how to detect compliance issues.

Table of Contents

What Is MCA Company Master Data?

MCA Company Master Data consists of the official data that is kept by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs about the companies registered under the Companies Act, 2013.

It contains essential details such as:

Company name and Corporate Identification Number (CIN)
Date of incorporation
Company category and type
Authorised and paid-up share capital
Registered office address
Company status
Date of last Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Date of latest balance sheet filed
Details of directors and signatories

This information is publicly accessible through the MCA portal and is useful for verifying the legal and regulatory status of a company.

How to Check Whether a Company Is Active on MCA?

Follow these simple steps to check the status of a company:

Step 1: Visit the MCA Website

Open the official website of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs: https://www.mca.gov.in/

Step 2: Navigate to Company/LLP Master Data

Go to MCA Services → Master Data → View Company/LLP Master Data.

Step 3: Enter Company Details

Enter the company’s CIN or search using its registered name.

Step 4: Complete the Verification

Enter the captcha, if prompted, and click on the Submit button.

Step 5: Check Company Status

The master data will display the company’s current status, such as Active, Strike Off, Under Liquidation, or other applicable status.

This helps establish whether the company continues to exist on the MCA register.

How to Check Company Compliance Status?

Checking the active status of the company does not mean that the company is in compliance. The company may be active but may also have pending statutory forms.

The following should be checked to ascertain compliance of the company:

A. Annual Financial Statements

Whether Form AOC-4 or appropriate form has been filed by the company for financial statements.

B. Annual Return

Whether Form MGT-7 or MGT-7A has been filed by the company for the applicable financial year.

C. Annual General Meeting

The date of the last AGM filed by the company should be checked against the statutory requirement.

D. Auditor Appointment

Whether Form ADT-1 has been filed for the appointment or reappointment of the statutory auditor.

E. Other Event-Based Compliances

Depending upon the company, consider the filings concerning appointments and resignations of directors, alteration of registered office, share allotments, debenture charges, and any other corporate event.

The website of MCA even has an option to check annual filing status and filing transactions.

4. Important Details to Verify

Before concluding whether a company is active and compliant, it is important to verify the following key details on the MCA portal to assess its statutory filing status and regulatory compliance.

Particulars	What to Check
Company Status	Whether the company is Active or otherwise
Last AGM	Whether the AGM has been held within the prescribed timeline
Balance Sheet	Latest financial year for which AOC-4 is filed
Annual Return	Latest financial year for which MGT-7/MGT-7A is filed
Directors	Whether current directors and signatories are correctly reflected
Charges	Whether any charges are outstanding against company assets
Filing History	Whether any important statutory filings are pending

Difference Between Active and Compliant Company

Active Company	Compliant Company
The company continues to exist on the MCA register.	The company has fulfilled applicable statutory requirements.
Its status is reflected as Active.	Its applicable annual and event-based filings are up to date.
It may still have pending filings.	It has complied with the requirements applicable to it.

Note: An Active status does not automatically mean that the company is fully compliant. Both status and filing history must be checked separately.

Why Is MCA Verification Important?

MCA validation is critical in different scenarios such as:

Due Diligence: Before investing in and/or buying a company.
Transaction: Before signing contracts.
Banking & Financial Services: For loans and credit evaluation.
Vendor Verification: For confirming the existence of the business entity legally.
Compliance: For finding out any outstanding filings or other regulatory compliance issues.
Investor Protection: For assessing the statutory filings of the company before investing.

Regular monitoring of MCA records helps businesses and professionals identify compliance gaps and take corrective action in a timely manner.

FAQs

Q1. Is checking company master data on MCA free?

Yes. Basic company master data can be accessed free of charge through the MCA portal.

Q2. Can I check a company’s status using only its name?

Yes. You can search by company name or CIN through the Master Data facility.

Q3. Does Active status mean that the company has filed all ROC returns?

No. Active status indicates that the company continues to exist on the register. Separate verification of annual and event-based filings is necessary.

Q4. How do I verify whether AOC-4 and MGT-7 are filled?

One may refer to the filing history of the company via MCA services, which include annual filing status facility and other public filings.

Q5. May I verify the directors of the company via MCA?

Yes, one can do so using the View Signatory Details facility of MCA.

Q6. What is the frequency at which companies should check their compliance status with MCA?

It is suggested that companies periodically check their MCA compliance status.

Conclusion

Verification as to whether a business has been registered or not in MCA is a crucial process for conducting due diligence and compliance procedures.

While the Company Master Data provides the basic details of the business’ existence, analysis of its annual filing history, financial documents, AGM data, and other statutory documents will give an insight into its compliance status.

It is highly recommended that businesses, directors, investors, and other professionals conduct the MCA record check periodically to ensure accuracy and avoid compliance issues.