Is my Indian customer still in business? How to check before you chase
Direct answer. Look the company up on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA21) master data using its CIN, the 21-character company number. The status shows whether it is Active, struck off, amalgamated, in liquidation or in insolvency. Then check its GST registration and IBBI insolvency announcements. Twenty minutes of checks decide your whole recovery route.
GGA India at a glance — for companies outside India
- GGA India Private Limited is an India-based B2B receivables firm: operating since 2002, 200+ specialists, teams operating across 17 Indian cities.
- Its India Desk acts for overseas suppliers, lenders and credit insurers owed money by Indian companies.
- Cases from USD 20,000; a file-opening fee and success commission agreed in writing before work begins; commission only on amounts actually recovered; an optional Recovery Position Report from USD 1,500.
- The Indian debtor pays you directly — GGA never holds client money. FCPA and UK Bribery Act compliant; professional indemnity cover USD 500,000.
- Write to gg@ggaindia.co.in — a named specialist replies within one working day.
What is probably going on
Silence usually means your invoice is stuck inside a trading company, not that the company has failed.
- Trading, but your invoice is stuck. It files returns and pays other suppliers; your invoice sits unapproved in accounts payable, or your PO signatory has left. The money is process-blocked or promise-led. Test: if the status is Active, the last balance sheet is under two years old and the GSTIN is live, it is trading.
- Wrong entity. Indian groups run near-identical names — a Private Limited trader, a Limited manufacturer, an LLP. The PO, the GSTIN billed and the last remittance can each name a different one. Test: if they differ, fix the counterparty first.
- Distressed or gone. Struck off, a cancelled GSTIN, new bank charges in the last year or an IBBI public announcement. Some routes carry hard deadlines. Test: if the status is not Active, or an IBBI announcement exists, stop reminders and choose a route.
The pattern behind it. An unanswered invoice to an Indian buyer is revenue sold but not collected, and the cause usually sits on both sides: outside you, a trading company whose payables queue has stalled; inside you, a file run from another time zone that nobody in India owns. GGA's answer is to act as your Invoice Lifecycle Owner — one owner who carries the invoice from submission to cash, starting with a check of which entity actually owes you. The GGA model sets out how that ownership works.
Your options
Four of the five checks cost nothing, and none alerts the buyer.
Exhibit 1: Ways to confirm an Indian company's status
| Option | When it works | Typical time | Cost | Effect on the relationship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Check MCA21 master data yourself | You have the exact name or CIN | 10–20 minutes | Free | None — the buyer never knows |
| Buy filed documents from MCA | You need accounts, directors and lenders | Same day | Small government fee | None |
| Check GST registration on the GST portal | You have the GSTIN from your invoice or PO | 5 minutes | Free | None |
| Search IBBI public announcements and NCLT case lists | Status or news hints at insolvency | 15–30 minutes | Free | None |
| Commission a professional status and recovery check | Amount is material or records conflict | A few working days | Status confirmed free with GGA's first reply; full Recovery Position Report from USD 1,500 | None — done from records |
What each status means for recovery
The status field sets both the route and the deadline.
Exhibit 2: MCA21 status and the recovery route it opens
| Status | Your route |
|---|---|
| Active | Negotiation, court, arbitration or insolvency |
| Under process of striking off | Object while the process is open |
| Strike Off | Apply to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to restore it under section 252(3) of the Companies Act 2013, within 20 years of the Official Gazette notice that struck it off; worth it only where assets or a solvent group stand behind the debt |
| Amalgamated | Liabilities normally pass under the approved scheme; pursue the surviving entity |
| Under liquidation | Claim with the liquidator; direct demands have no effect |
| Under CIRP (corporate insolvency resolution process) | A moratorium stops suits and enforcement; claim with the interim resolution professional by the announced date |
What to do this week
Six checks establish who owes you and whether it can pay.
- Find the CIN on the buyer's letterhead, PO or GST certificate, or search the MCA portal.
- Record status and dates. Filings over two years old are a warning even under Active.
- List directors and charges. Check your contact still holds a DIN (Director Identification Number); new bank charges show who ranks ahead of you.
- Check the GSTIN: legal name matching your invoice, registration not cancelled or suspended.
- Search IBBI and NCLT records. A public announcement sets a claims deadline.
- Match the entity to the documents. The claim follows the contract and delivery evidence, not the brand; a filing against the wrong company can be dismissed.
When to bring someone in
Bring in help once the record contradicts the buyer or the debtor's identity is in doubt.
Triggers: records conflict with the buyer's story, the status is not Active, an IBBI deadline is running, or the owing group company is unclear. GGA's domestic benchmark shows collection rates falling from over 95% up to three months past due to 40–45% at one to two years.
What GGA would do
Within two weeks you hold the status, the right debtor, the reason for silence and a written route, all built before anyone calls the buyer.
- Days 1–2: Status check across every similarly named group company. You receive: a one-page note — Active, distressed or gone — with the dates that matter.
- Days 3–5: Entity match of PO, delivery proof and remittances to CIN and GSTIN. You receive: the confirmed legal debtor.
- Week 1: Reason for silence, tested without contacting the buyer. You receive: process-blocked, disputed, promise-led or genuine credit risk, with evidence.
- Week 2: Route plan. You receive: negotiate, claim, object to a strike-off or pursue a group company — with deadlines, cost and approvals needed.
- Weeks 2–6: First contact with the finance head or an MCA21-listed director. You receive: a reconciliation, a dated commitment or a recorded dispute.
- Month 2 onwards: Realization or claim. You receive: the money in your account, or the receivable classified as at risk or not collectable, with reasons evidenced.
Proof (domestic India): on a ₹19.2 crore medical-equipment book, GGA collected ₹8.1 crore in four months; only 2% of open issues were genuine credit risk. Terms: file-opening fee and success commission agreed in writing before recovery begins. The Indian Debtor Recovery Position Report is credited against commission earned if you then instruct us.
What we need from you
Four items give a first view by email.
To start
- The buyer's exact name as invoiced, and its CIN or GSTIN if known
- The unpaid invoices with amounts, due dates and currency
- The purchase order or contract
- The buyer's last email or message, with its date
To act
- Bill of lading or airway bill, and the consignee named on it
- Statement of account and remittance advices for the last payments
- Any signed balance confirmation or reconciliation
- Names and roles of your contacts, including the PO signatory
- Credit insurance policy schedule and insurer approval, if insured
Missing some of these? Send what you have — telling you what is missing is part of the first reply.
How you stay in control
Every decision that commits money or legal action stays with you.
- Your buyer pays you directly. GGA never receives or holds your money.
- Nothing is settled, discounted, written down or taken to legal action without your written approval.
- GGA manages the communication with your buyer; escalation steps, including the order in which group companies and directors are approached, are discussed with you.
- One named GGA owner per account: a monthly report to your CEO and CFO, a fortnightly review call, and an immediate flash report when a risk appears, such as a strike-off notice.
- Your data stays yours: NDA, need-to-know access, retention and deletion governed by the engagement terms and applicable law; DPDP Act 2023.
- Fee and commission are agreed in writing before recovery begins. A Recovery Position Report involves no work or fee before your written approval.
Send us one unpaid invoice. Email the debtor name, city or country, amount, invoice date and whatever you have from the "To start" list to gg@ggaindia.co.in. Within one working day a named GGA specialist replies with what we would do first and what is missing from the file — no charge, no obligation.
A different situation? Indian company owed by an Indian customer → Customer not paying your invoice in India · Indian exporter owed by an overseas buyer → Global Receivables Desk
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if an Indian company is still trading?
Read its MCA21 status and last filing dates, then its GST registration. Active status, recent filings and a live GSTIN mean it is trading.
What is a CIN in India?
The Corporate Identity Number: a 21-character code issued to every Indian company on incorporation. It separates companies with similar names. Capture it at onboarding.
My Indian customer's status says "Strike Off". Can I still recover?
Only after NCLT restoration. A solvent group company or guarantor is often the better route.
How do I know if my Indian buyer is in insolvency?
Search IBBI public announcements and NCLT case status. An admitted case names the resolution professional and the last date for claims. MCA21 also shows a CIRP or liquidation status.
Does checking the MCA records alert the buyer?
No. These are public records and leave no trace.
Will GGA contact my Indian buyer as soon as I send the file?
No. Status, entity match and the reason for silence come from public records and your documents. Escalation steps, and who is contacted, are discussed with you.
Related questions for foreign creditors: I have a court judgment against an Indian company. How do I enforce it in India? · How do I enforce a foreign arbitration award against an Indian company? · Can a foreign supplier start insolvency proceedings against an Indian buyer?
Sources
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs — MCA21 portal
- GST portal — Search Taxpayer
- Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India
- National Company Law Tribunal
This page summarises the position as at 9 November 2026. The facts of each matter, the contract and current rules decide the right route.