Decoding the CIN
The Corporate Identity Number is issued by the Registrar of Companies under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), and its 21 characters decode in six parts: the first letter is the listing status (L listed, U unlisted); the next five digits are the industry code; then a two-letter state code; a four-digit year of incorporation; a three-letter ownership type (PTC private limited, PLC public limited, FLC foreign, NPL not-for-profit); and a six-digit registration number.
Read U72200MH2020PTC345678 and you already know: unlisted, software-sector, Maharashtra, incorporated 2020, private limited. If the decoded story contradicts what the counterparty told you, that is a question to resolve before you do business.
Decoding the GSTIN
The GSTIN is the 15-character tax registration for GST: a two-digit state code, then the company's ten-character PAN (its income-tax identity), an entity code, a default letter Z, and a check character. Because the PAN sits inside the GSTIN, an invoice's GSTIN and the company's PAN can be reconciled against each other, and a company operating in several states will hold several GSTINs built on the same PAN.
How to check both free
The MCA portal's company search is free: it returns the company's master data (name, CIN, status, registered office, incorporation date) and confirms whether filings are up to date. The GST portal's taxpayer search confirms a GSTIN and its registration status free of charge. For routine vetting, decode the CIN, check it on MCA, confirm the GSTIN on the GST portal, and match all of it against the paperwork.
The wider Indian sources are on our India company credit report page and in the registry directory; our guide to verifying an Indian company walks the checks step by step.
What the numbers prove, and what they don't
A clean CIN and GSTIN confirm registration, status, location and tax standing. They say nothing about solvency or payment record, and Indian financial filings, while extensive, take effort to read. For a commercial business decision, a full company report adds the financial standing, payment behaviour and adverse history that the numbers themselves say nothing about.
Common questions
What is the difference between CIN and GSTIN?
The CIN is the corporate registration identity issued by the MCA; the GSTIN is the tax registration for GST. A company has one CIN but may hold a GSTIN in every state where it operates.
How do I check a CIN for free?
Use the company search on the MCA portal, which returns the master data for any CIN or company name without charge.
Does every Indian business have a CIN?
No. Only companies registered under the Companies Act carry a CIN (LLPs have an equivalent LLPIN). Sole proprietorships and ordinary partnerships have neither, which makes their GST and PAN identities the checkable numbers.
Need more than the number can tell you?
An India company credit report adds financial standing, payment behaviour and adverse history to the registry facts, investigated in-country. Delivered in plain English.