No competitor advisory page addresses this — and it is the single most important development for UK companies considering India right now.
The UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement is not simply a trade deal. For UK businesses, it creates a structurally different operating environment in India:
Duty-free market access on 99% of Indian exports to the UK — reducing input costs for UK companies sourcing from India.
Services liberalisation provisions open new pathways for UK financial services, legal, consulting and technology firms to operate in India with fewer regulatory barriers.
FDI protections are codified in the agreement — giving UK investors legal recourse and certainty previously unavailable.
Foreign investment cap in India’s insurance sector locked at 74% with a clear pathway to 100% — a specific benefit for UK financial services companies.
Mutual recognition of professional qualifications — enabling UK accountants, lawyers, engineers and architects to work within Indian operations more smoothly.
Temporary mobility provisions for UK professionals working in Indian subsidiaries — reducing visa and work permit complexity for senior staff secondments.
Corporate Legit helps UK companies structure their India entry to maximise every one of these CETA provisions — from corporate structure selection to tax treaty alignment and regulatory filings.
Rosneft and Gazprom have established the Russian energy company model in India — refining partnerships, fuel retail and energy infrastructure.
Rusal and Mechel represent Russian metals companies with India operations — aluminium processing and coal supply chain JVs.
Russian pharmaceutical companies are actively partnering with Indian manufacturers for generic drug production and distribution.
Kaspersky and Sberbank's technology centres in Bengaluru demonstrate India's role as a Russian IT and cybersecurity operational hub.
The BrahMos co-production model represents the most advanced form of Russian-Indian defence collaboration — a template for future defence JVs.
Russia is one of the world's largest fertiliser producers and India one of its largest consumers — creating natural trade-to-investment conversion opportunities.
Alrosa's Mumbai representative office model demonstrates how Russian commodity companies can establish India presence for sales and distribution.
Alfa Capital, Finam and T-Bank are among Russian financial companies exploring SEBI FPI registration for rupee-denominated portfolio investment.
This section is what makes Corporate Legit’s Russia advisory credible — we deal with the actual challenges, not a sanitised version:
Private Limited Company, JV structuring with an Indian partner, Branch Office and Liaison Office — structure determined by sector, FDI route eligibility and operational model.
Structuring surplus Vostro account rupees as compliant India investment capital — coordinating with Indian banks, preparing RBI documentation and ensuring FEMA compliance.
FDI reporting under non-dollar remittance routes, inward remittance structuring, share allotment filings and ongoing compliance.
We ensure the Indian entity setup does not create secondary sanctions exposure — working alongside appropriate legal counsel where required.
Shareholder agreements, governance structuring, profit-sharing arrangements and exit clause documentation for Russian-Indian JVs.
India-Russia DTAA application, transfer pricing documentation, GST registration and filing.
Ongoing MCA/ROC filings, annual returns and Companies Act compliance.
Pharma, mining, IT, fintech and financial services registrations depending on sector.
For sectors with automatic FDI route approval and where the Russian entity does not trigger the land-border-adjacent country government route requirement. Provides full operational control.
The most practical structure for Russian companies given payment constraints, local market knowledge requirements and the current absence of a BIT.
For trading or project-specific activity. Subject to RBI approval and sector eligibility.
For Russian financial firms and portfolio investors deploying rupee surplus through the Foreign Portfolio Investor route
No other advisory firm’s page addresses this with the specificity it requires. This is one of the most important practical issues for Russian companies investing in India today:
The compliance pathway, tax implications and FEMA requirements differ significantly between these two groups. Corporate Legit advises both — and makes sure each client is on the right track from the outset.
The India-Russia Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement protects Russian companies from being taxed on the same income in both India and Russia:
Corporate Legit structures all Russian-India transactions to maximise DTAA benefits while ensuring full compliance with Indian transfer pricing regulations.
The India-Russia Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement protects Russian companies from being taxed on the same income in both India and Russia:
Corporate Legit structures all Russian-India transactions to maximise DTAA benefits while ensuring full compliance with Indian transfer pricing regulations.
Sector assessment, sanctions risk check and FDI route review — at no charge.
JV vs WOS vs Branch — including government route analysis and Vostro capital deployment feasibility.
Russian entity documentation, apostille and notarisation guidance for Russian-origin documents.
MCA incorporation, PAN, TAN and RBI FC-GPR filing including non-dollar remittance route documentation.
Compliant Indian bank account opening — working with banks experienced in Russia-origin FDI.
Annual ROC filings, GST returns, income tax returns and transfer pricing documentation.
Experience with cross-border investment transactions outside the dollar ecosystem — including Vostro account capital deployment.
Network across all major Indian commercial cities.
Senior partners with Big-4 accounting firm backgrounds.
End-to-end: legal, tax, secretarial and compliance under one roof.
Discreet, professional handling of geopolitically sensitive company setups.
Yes, subject to the applicable FDI route for the sector. Under Indian FDI policy, Russia is treated as a country sharing a land border with India, which means FDI in certain sectors requires government route approval. Corporate Legit assesses the applicable route for each case individually.
India has not adopted the Western sanctions regime against Russia. Indian companies and Indian subsidiaries of Russian companies are not subject to US OFAC or EU sanctions unless they have US or EU nexus. However, secondary sanctions risk — the risk that transactions involving Russian entities trigger sanctions exposure for the Indian entity’s international counterparties — must be assessed carefully. Corporate Legit works alongside appropriate legal counsel on this.
Surplus rupees in Special Rupee Vostro Accounts can be deployed as FDI in Indian companies under RBI regulations. The process requires specific documentation for RBI reporting and FEMA compliance. Corporate Legit coordinates the entire Vostro capital deployment process from bank selection through to completed FDI filing.
No, it is not mandatory in most sectors. However, a JV with an Indian partner is often the most practical structure for Russian companies given payment constraints, the absence of a BIT, and the value of local market relationships. Corporate Legit advises on the optimal structure case by case.
The DTAA reduces withholding tax rates on dividends, royalties and technical service fees paid from India to Russia, and prevents the same income from being taxed in full in both jurisdictions. A valid Tax Residency Certificate from Russian tax authorities is required to claim treaty benefits
The government route is required for sectors where India applies the land-border-adjacent country rule — which includes defence above certain thresholds, media and some other regulated sectors. The assessment is sector-specific and case-specific. Corporate Legit provides this analysis as part of the initial consultation.
Incorporation of a Private Limited Company takes 10 to 15 working days from the date all documentation is in order. Russian-origin documents require apostille and notarisation, which adds preparation time.
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