Need B2B Leads? Get 100 Free Credits — Book Your Demo Today!

What Is Cin? Understanding The Corporate Identification Number

The What is CIN is a unique alpha numeric code issued to companies in India & it plays an important role in business identity & legal compliance.

Cin
Pankaj Verma
Written By

Pankaj Verma

Nov 05, 2025
15 min read

What is CIN? Understanding the Corporate Identification Number


The What is CIN is a unique alpha numeric code issued to companies in India & it plays an important role in business identity & legal compliance. The topic What is CIN helps business owners & professionals understand how companies are registered & tracked under the law. The number allows easy identification of any company registered under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Today, In this article we will look at what is CIN & Understand it on Filesure.

What is CIN – Corporate Identification Number?

The Corporate Identification Number or CIN is a 21 digit code issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs through the Registrars of Companies across states in India. The number is given at the time of incorporation & stays with the company for its lifetime. The code helps track company activities & verify basic details online. The CIN acts like a unique ID for every company registered under the Companies Act.

What are the Key Components of CIN Number?

The CIN number meaning becomes easy to understand once we look at each part of the 21 digit code.

Section

Components

What it Indicates

Section 1

1 character

The letter L means listed companies & U means unlisted companies.

Section 2

Next 5 digits

The code represents the type of industry or business activity.

Section 3

Next 2 letters

The letters show the state of incorporation like KA for Karnataka or MH for Maharashtra.

Section 4

Next 4 digits

The numbers show the year of incorporation like 2010 or 2023.

Section 5

Next 3 letters

The letters show the type of company such as PTC for Private Limited Company or PLC for Public Limited Company.

Section 6

Last 6 digits

The numbers represent the company registration number given by the Registrar of Companies.

The example L01631KA2010PTC096843 explains it clearly. The letter L shows it is listed. The digits 01631 show the industry. The letters KA show it is registered in Karnataka. The digits 2010 show the year of incorporation. The letters PTC show it is a private limited company. The last digits 096843 are the company’s registration number.

What is CIN Format in India – Structure & Standards

The CIN format in India has a clear structure that helps people understand company details quickly. The 21 digit code has standard sections that show the listing status, industry, state, year of incorporation, type of company & registration number. The number is different from LLPIN which is given to Limited Liability Partnerships. The format helps in identifying basic company details easily.

Importance of Corporate Identification Number

The importance of Corporate Identification Number is very high for every company. The legal compliance part is key. The CIN must appear on all official forms, reports, invoices, audit statements & letters as required under the Companies Act. The tracking & transparency function makes the CIN useful for everyone. We can use it to check company details online using the MCA portal & confirm the registration status.

The credibility factor also matters. The CIN on official documents gives confidence to banks, investors & partners that the company is real & properly registered. The ease of operation is another benefit. The CIN helps in checking company data, processing loans & doing background checks easily. The number works like an identity card for the company. It ensures transparency & builds trust in the business ecosystem.

How to Find CIN Number - Steps for CIN Number Search?

The process of how to find CIN number is very simple. The first step is to visit the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website & go to the MCA 21 portal. The second step is to enter the company name in the search box & click submit. The third step is to find the CIN in the search result for that company. The fourth step is to check company invoices or official letters as CIN is printed there as well.

The CIN can also be found through third party sites that provide CIN number search tools. The CIN is always present on every legal document of the company.

What is Difference Between CIN vs LLPIN?

The CIN vs LLPIN difference is important to understand. The CIN is for companies registered under the Companies Act like private limited or public limited companies. The LLPIN is for Limited Liability Partnerships registered under the LLP Act. The CIN has 21 digits & the LLPIN has 7 digits.

The CIN identifies companies & the LLPIN identifies partnerships. They both work as legal identification numbers for different types of businesses.

Practical Example of a CIN Number

The example below helps to understand the format better.

The CIN U12345MH2020PTC098765 shows that it is an unlisted company. The digits 12345 show the industry code. The letters MH show Maharashtra. The digits 2020 show the year of incorporation. The letters PTC show that it is a private limited company. The digits 098765 show the company registration number.

The example shows how the CIN gives full company information in one line.

What is Role of CIN in Private Limited Company & Public Limited Company?

The private limited company CIN & public limited company CIN follow the same rule. The difference is in the type code part. The public company CIN has PLC & the private company CIN has PTC.

The public company CIN often starts with L as it is listed. The private company CIN usually starts with U for unlisted. The CIN tells about the company type, location & year of incorporation in one glance.

Company Registration Details India

The company incorporation details India are linked with CIN.

The company first reserves its name. The registration documents like MOA & AOA are filed. The Registrar of Companies issues a Certificate of Incorporation. The CIN is printed on that certificate.

The CIN is used in every future filing like annual reports, audit papers & other company documents. The number is printed on all official papers so it becomes a part of the company identity from day one.

Conclusion

At Last, We can conclude that CIN is the Corporate Identification Number which is a 21 digit code that identifies every company registered in India. The CIN format in India helps understand company type, location & year easily. The importance of Corporate Identification Number is huge as it ensures transparency & legal compliance. The knowledge of how to find CIN number helps in verifying company details quickly. The CIN is the true identity of a company in India & every business must know about it.

Also Read: What Happens If You Miss Your Roc Annual Filing Deadline

0
0 Comments
Scroll to top