Q1205. Start business in India

Question: sir I am a British passport holder and has been staying in India with my parents. I pay visa fee every 5 years for my stay. I want now to start a small business(dealership) of my own in India as i dont plan to go back. .

Can i do business as proprietorship and open a bank account . I dont have an OCI. I have come to know about it recently and will b trying to get it.

Thanks & with warm regards, Sudhir Mishra Lucknow

Answer: Whether you can setup a business in India or not would depend on the type of visa you currently hold. If you went to India as a tourist and now want to work, you cannot do so. Change of status for which a visa is originally issued is normally not allowed. The easiest way of doing things legally is to apply for OCI in India. This normally will take about six weeks in India if documentation is complete.

Once you have OCI you can set up your business and not worry about legal issues about your status in India.

Good luck!