# Display of Name & Service of Documents — Sections 382 & 383

## Section 382 — Display of name etc.

Every foreign company must do three things to make its foreign-ness visible to Indian counterparties:

### (1) Display outside every office / place of business in India

Legibly, in English and in the local language(s):

(a) The name of the foreign company
(b) The country of incorporation
(c) The fact that the liability of members is limited (if so)

### (2) Print on stationery & official publications

The name of the company and the country of incorporation must appear in legible English characters on:

all business letters, billheads and letter paper
all notices and other official publications

### (3) Limited liability — additional disclosures

If members' liability is limited, that fact must be:

(a) stated in every prospectus, business letter, billhead, letter paper, notice, advertisement and other official publication in legible English characters; and
(b) conspicuously exhibited outside every Indian office/place of business in English and the local language(s).

## Section 383 — Service of documents

Any process, notice or document required to be served on a foreign company is deemed sufficiently served if it is:

Addressed to any person whose name and address have been delivered to the Registrar under Section 380, AND
(a) Left at the address so delivered, OR
(b) Sent by post to that address, OR
(c) Sent by electronic mode.

### Key practical point

This is why Section 380(1)(d) requires the appointment of an India-resident authorised representative — Section 383 hinges on the existence of that filed name/address.

Worked example

### Example 1

Worked example (S. 382): Lumina LLC (Delaware, USA) opens a Bengaluru office. Outside the office it must display in English and Kannada: 'Lumina LLC — Incorporated in the United States of America — Liability of members is limited'.

### Example 2

Worked example (S. 383): A summons must be served on Lumina LLC. The plaintiff posts it to Mr. Rao, Lumina's India-resident authorised representative as filed in Form FC-1. Result: Service is valid under Section 383.

⚠️ Common exam mistakes

Displaying name and country only in English when the locality uses another language — both English and local languages are mandatory
Omitting the 'liability limited' tag from billheads/letter paper — the duty extends to all official publications, not just signboards
Confusing Sections 382 and 383 — display vs. service
Believing service must be on a director abroad; service on the filed India-resident representative is sufficient
Forgetting that electronic service is statutorily valid under Section 383

Reference: Sections 382 & 383 — Companies Act, 2013

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