CIN and DIN search: find a company's number and directors
Find a company's CIN and its directors for free, read what the numbers mean, and reach the people in charge.
By Saurabh Khatri · Published · 5 min read
How to search a CIN or DIN for free
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) website lets anyone view a company's master data for free. Open the master data service for companies and LLPs, enter the company's name or its CIN, and you see its registration details and the list of its directors, each with a DIN. To go the other way, the director master data service takes a DIN and shows the companies and LLPs that person is linked to.
The quickest place to find a CIN is often the company's own paperwork. Companies have to print their CIN on letterheads, invoices and other official documents, and many show it in their website footer. If you have only a name, search for it on the MCA site and pick the right company from the results. Similar names are common, so check the state and the year of incorporation in the CIN.
The search covers companies and LLPs only. A proprietorship or a partnership firm is not registered with MCA; to look one up, use its GSTIN, as our company search guide explains.
How to read a CIN
A Corporate Identification Number (CIN) has 21 characters, and each part means something. Take the made-up example U72200KA2015PTC012345:
| Characters | Example | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | U | Listing status: L for a company listed on a stock exchange, U for unlisted |
| 2 to 6 | 72200 | Industry code for the main business, from the National Industrial Classification (NIC) |
| 7 and 8 | KA | State of the registered office: KA is Karnataka, MH Maharashtra, DL Delhi, GJ Gujarat |
| 9 to 12 | 2015 | Year of incorporation |
| 13 to 15 | PTC | Type of company: PTC private limited, PLC public limited, OPC one person company, NPL not-for-profit (Section 8) company, GOI central government company, SGC state government company |
| 16 to 21 | 012345 | Registration number given by the Registrar of Companies |
Two cautions. The industry code comes from the NIC version in use when the company registered and the activity it declared then, so it is a rough guide to what the company does today. And a CIN can change, for example when a private company becomes public or an unlisted one lists, so an old invoice may show an old number.
DIN, LLPIN and the other numbers
- DIN (Director Identification Number): an eight-digit number given to a person, not a company, before they can be appointed a director. A person has only one DIN, however many companies they join. Directors must keep their KYC with MCA up to date, and the director master data can show a DIN as deactivated when that filing is missed.
- LLPIN (LLP Identification Number): an LLP's equivalent of a CIN, a short code of three letters and four digits such as AAB-1234. An LLP's designated partners are identified by their DIN.
- FCRN: the registration number of a foreign company that has a place of business in India.
- GSTIN and PAN are different. The PAN is the income tax number, and a GSTIN is a GST registration of 15 characters with the PAN inside it. A company has one CIN but may hold a GSTIN in every state where it is registered for GST.
What the free search shows, and what it doesn't
The free company master data shows:
- the name, CIN, the Registrar of Companies it falls under, and the date of incorporation;
- whether it is private or public, listed or unlisted, and its authorised and paid-up capital;
- its status, such as active, struck off, under liquidation, amalgamated or dormant;
- the registered office address and the email address filed with MCA;
- the dates of its last annual general meeting and balance sheet;
- its directors, with their DINs, designations and dates of appointment, and the charges (secured loans) registered against it.
It does not show mobile numbers, and the filed email often belongs to the professional who handles the company's filings. Financial statements and annual returns are a separate paid service on the same website. Master data also tells you who the directors are, not who buys: in a mid-sized company, purchases are usually handled by a purchase or plant head.
Use the status and filing dates as a quick health check. An "active" company that has filed no balance sheet for years deserves a careful look before you give it credit.
From a director's name to a conversation
A CIN search tells you who runs a company. Reaching them takes a few more steps:
- Use the company's own channels first. Call the number on its website or letterhead and ask for the director by name: "Good morning, may I speak to Mr Rao, the managing director? It's about your new warehouse in Bhiwandi." A name and a reason get you further than "the person in charge".
- Write a short email to the company's general address, marked for the director's attention, and follow up by phone a few days later.
- Check LinkedIn for directors of larger companies; owners of smaller ones are often easier to reach by phone.
- Use a ready list when you need many at once. Our CEOs, MDs & Directors list has 38,331 senior people in 224 cities, 83% of them with a mobile number and 99% with an email address. For owner-run firms, the business owners list is often the better start.
- CEOs, MDs & Directors 38,331 contacts · 99% email · 83% mobile ₹1,999
- Business Owners & Proprietors 3,27,377 contacts · 2% email · 98% mobile ₹1,999
Directors and senior executives by city
- Mumbai 7,689 contacts · 99% email · 75% mobile ₹499
- Bengaluru 3,592 contacts · 98% email · 98% mobile ₹499
- Hyderabad 2,878 contacts · 98% email · 84% mobile ₹499
- Pune 2,477 contacts · 99% email · 87% mobile ₹499
- Chennai 1,959 contacts · 98% email · 67% mobile ₹499
- Kolkata 1,852 contacts · 99% email · 82% mobile ₹499
Our CEO list guide explains who is in these lists and how to approach senior people. Before promotional calls or SMS, check the DND rules, and use directors' details from MCA or from any list only for a genuine business purpose.
Questions people ask
Can I find a company's CIN from its name?
Yes. Search the name in the MCA master data service and pick the company from the results. Check the state and the year of incorporation in the CIN to be sure you have the right one.
How do I find out which companies a person is a director of?
Get the person's DIN from the master data of any company where they are a director, then open it in the director master data service. It lists the companies and LLPs linked to that DIN.
Is CIN search free?
Viewing company, LLP and director master data is free. Viewing filed documents, such as financial statements, is a paid service.
What does "strike off" mean?
The Registrar has removed the company from the register, either because it applied to close or because it stopped filing. A struck-off company stands dissolved, so treat any deal in its name with great care.