Form CSR-1 is the mandatory e-form filed by every entity intending to undertake CSR activities funded by Indian companies, to register itself with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). Introduced through the Companies (CSR Policy) Amendment Rules 2021 and effective from 1 April 2021, CSR-1 is governed by Rule 4(2) of the CSR Rules read with Section 135 of the Companies Act 2013. Without a valid CSR Registration Number (CRN) obtained through CSR-1, no NGO, trust, society, or Section 8 company can legally receive CSR funds from any Indian corporate donor for projects undertaken on or after 1 April 2021.
Eligible entities include Section 8 companies, registered public trusts, and registered societies that hold valid Sec 12A and Sec 80G registrations under the Income-Tax Act 1961, established either by the company itself / with another company, or by the Central / State Government, or having an established track record of at least 3 years in similar activities. CSR-1 is filed online on the MCA portal, signed digitally by the authorised signatory of the entity, and certified by a practising CA / CS / CMA. On approval, MCA issues a unique CRN starting with "CSR0000…", which corporate donors are required to quote in Form CSR-2. Our CSR-1 Registration Services cover eligibility mapping, document curation, professional certification, MCA filing, query reply, and CRN issuance — end-to-end.
A Section 8 company established by the funding company itself, or jointly with another company / its subsidiary / associate, to channel CSR projects — registered under Rule 4(1)(a) without 3-year track record requirement.
A registered public trust or registered society established by the funding company / group, with or without 12A & 80G — eligible to register on CSR-1 under Rule 4(1)(a) without 3-year track record.
Entities established by an Act of Parliament or a State Legislature are eligible to register on CSR-1 under Rule 4(1)(b) — no 12A / 80G or 3-year track record requirement.
Section 8 co / public trust / society not established by the donor, registered under Sec 12A / 12AB & 80G, with an established track record of at least 3 years in undertaking similar activities — Rule 4(1)(c).
Class-3 DSC of authorised signatory (chairperson / secretary / managing trustee / director), PAN of the entity, MCA portal user-account creation, and signatory authorisation resolution.
CSR-1 must be digitally signed by the entity and certified by a practising CA / CS / CMA — verifying entity details, registrations, financials, governing body, and authorised signatory.
Filing of CSR-1 on MCA V3 portal, attaching all supporting documents, payment of zero government fee, system-generated SRN, and tracking till CRN approval.
Quoting CRN on every donor MOU / project file, donor's CSR-2 cross-reference, project-wise utilisation reports, FCRA mapping (if foreign donors), and ongoing-project disclosures.
A company crossing net worth ₹500 cr / turnover ₹1,000 cr / net profit ₹5 cr in the immediately preceding FY must spend 2% of average net profits on CSR activities.
Effective 1 April 2021, every entity intending to undertake CSR activities funded by an Indian company must register itself with the MCA in Form CSR-1 and obtain a CRN.
Section 8 cos / public trusts / societies established by the donor, by the Government, by Act of legislature, or independent NGOs with 3-year track record holding 12A + 80G.
A unique 8-digit number prefixed with "CSR" allotted by MCA on approval of CSR-1 — must be quoted by donor companies in their CSR-2 and project documentation.
For independent NGOs (Rule 4(1)(c)), valid Sec 12A / 12AB and Sec 80G registrations are mandatory at the time of CSR-1 filing — relaxed for donor-set-up and statutory bodies.
Independent NGOs must demonstrate at least 3 years of established track record in undertaking activities similar to the proposed CSR programmes — proven via audited financials and project portfolio.
CSR projects must fall within Schedule VII of the Co Act — eradicating hunger, education, gender equality, environment, rural development, sports, technology, slum development, disaster management, and more.
CSR-1 is processed on a Straight-Through-Process (STP) basis on MCA V3 — typically auto-approved within minutes / hours of e-filing if attachments and certifications are in order.
Mapping the entity to the right CSR-1 route — donor-set-up, statutory body, or independent NGO — and confirming Sec 12A / 80G, track record, and Schedule VII alignment.
Validating active Sec 12AB and Sec 80G registrations on the IT portal, fixing expiries, renewing 10A / 10AB where lapsed before CSR-1 filing.
Compiling KYC of every governing-body member / trustee / director, declarations, authorised-signatory resolution, and PAN-Aadhaar alignment.
Class-3 DSC procurement for the authorised signatory, MCA V3 user-account creation, OTP verification, and signatory mapping.
Preparing the complete CSR-1 dossier — registration certificate, MOA / trust deed / bye-laws, Sec 12A / 80G orders, PAN, audited financials, governing-body list, and authorisation.
Filling the CSR-1 webform on MCA V3 — entity details, registration trail, governing body, ratings, planned CSR scope, and uploads.
Independent professional verification, document attestation, and DSC certification on CSR-1 by a practising CA / CS / CMA empanelled with us.
e-Filing on MCA V3, system-generated SRN, real-time payment confirmation (zero fee), and tracking through STP approval queue.
Sharing the approved CRN, MCA-issued certificate / acknowledgement, and onboarding kit for use in donor MOUs and CSR-2 cross-referencing.
Drafting CSR MOU between donor co and implementing agency — Schedule VII mapping, ongoing-project annexure, fund-flow, milestone, and reporting framework.
Where the entity also receives foreign contributions — segregation of CSR funds from FCRA bank account, separate books, and FCRA Form FC-4 reconciliation.
Updating CSR-1 on change of name, address, registration, governing body, or signatory; surrender / cancellation handling and re-registration where mandated.
An Indian company has agreed to fund your CSR project — without a valid CRN, no funds can legally flow as CSR for projects on / after 1 April 2021.
Your group is incorporating a Section 8 company / forming a trust to channel CSR — CSR-1 is required immediately on registration before the first donor inflow.
Your company has crossed CSR thresholds and your in-house implementing agency / partner NGO must hold a valid CRN before you book any CSR expenditure.
Newly granted Sec 12AB / 80G under the new regime — CSR-1 can now be filed to start receiving CSR funds; eligibility window must be carefully checked.
Entity established by an Act of Parliament / State Legislature — eligible to register without 12A / 80G or 3-year track-record requirement.
Your corporate donor is drafting CSR-2 and demands the CRN of the implementing agency — without it, donor cannot quote, defaulting on Rule 12(1B).
Change of registered address, governing body, or registration certificate triggers a CSR-1 modification — must be done before next donor disbursement.
Earlier CSR-1 was rejected or marked under resubmission — comprehensive defect-cure, document re-curation, and clean re-filing.
Map entity to Rule 4(1)(a)/(b)/(c), validate 12A / 80G, check track record, and finalise the CSR-1 strategy.
Compile entity records, governance KYC, audited financials, registrations, and signatory authorisation.
Class-3 DSC, MCA portal setup, draft CSR-1 webform, attachments, and CA / CS / CMA certification.
e-File on MCA V3, SRN tracking, STP approval, and CRN handover with onboarding kit.
Donor MOU, project schedule, fund-flow setup, and post-registration compliance & reporting calendar.
Partner with our CSR specialists for a clean, end-to-end CSR-1 registration — eligibility mapping, document curation, professional certification, MCA filing, and CRN handover.
Talk to a CSR-1 Registration Expert