MCA Status Meaning - Active, Strike-off, Dormant Explained
Every Indian company has a status field - Active, Active in Progress, Dormant, Under Liquidation, Strike-off, Amalgamated. We translate each status into what it means for you as counterparty, lender, investor or shareholder.
Open any Indian company profile and the first thing you'll notice is a status label. "Active". "Strike-off". "Dormant". "Under Liquidation". It's a small word in the corner of the page, but it's the single most important signal in any due-diligence flow - because it tells you, in one glance, whether the company you're about to deal with actually exists in the eyes of the law.
Get the status wrong and you can sign a contract with a company that has no legal personhood, or chase a payment from one that's already in liquidation. So it's worth understanding what each label means, and what to do when you see it.
Why status matters
Every Indian company carries a status on the corporate registry, set by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs based on whatever the company has - or hasn't - filed. The status tells you whether the company can legally trade, whether courts can hold it accountable, and whether MCA has begun the process of removing it from the register. It's not bureaucratic detail. It's the headline.
Every MCA status, what it means, what to do
Here are the statuses you'll actually see on Infyner profiles, and how to read each one in practice.
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Active | The company exists, has filed its key returns, and can legally trade. The default state for a healthy company. | Proceed with normal diligence - directors, charges, financials. |
| Active in Progress | An MCA action is in flight, usually a recent filing being processed. The status will resolve back to Active or escalate. | Treat as Active for now; re-check before signing anything. |
| Active - Compliant | The company has filed its e-Form Active (INC-22A) and is in good standing on that hygiene check. | A small positive signal, not a free pass. Still check filings and charges. |
| Active - Non-Compliant | The company has skipped one or more MCA hygiene filings - most often INC-22A or DIR-3 KYC. | Red flag. Expect frozen DINs and directors who can't sign new e-forms until the gap is cured. |
| Dormant | The company has registered as Dormant under Section 455 - typically a holding shell or one waiting on a future project. | Contracting with a dormant company is unusual. Verify it can actually perform its operational obligations. |
| Under Process of Striking Off | The ROC has issued a notice under Section 248 to remove the company from the register because it hasn't filed returns or has never started business. | Stop. Don't sign new contracts. The company will lose its legal personhood if the strike-off goes through. |
| Strike Off / Struck Off | The company has been removed from the MCA register. It has no legal existence - it can't enter contracts, sue, or be sued (unless restored). | Treat as non-existent. Any obligation owed to a struck-off company should be addressed via restoration proceedings or to the directors personally. |
| Under Liquidation | The company is in voluntary liquidation under the Companies Act, or in liquidation under the IBC, 2016. | Engage the liquidator or resolution professional. The board no longer has authority to act. |
| Amalgamated | The company has merged into another entity under an NCLT-approved scheme. Its assets and liabilities have transferred. | Run diligence on the surviving entity. The amalgamated CIN is dead. |
| Converted to LLP | The company has converted to an LLP under Section 56 of the LLP Act. The original CIN is closed. | Move your file to the new LLPIN. Past liabilities transfer with the entity. |
| Defunct | An older, legacy term equivalent to "Strike Off". Some old filings still surface this label. | Same as Strike Off. |
"Active" versus "Strike Off" - the comparison everyone wants
These two are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Active means the company is legal, trading, and can sign contracts. Strike Off means it's been removed from the register, has no legal personhood, and can't contract - or be contracted with - at all.
A struck-off company isn't gone forever, though. Any director, member, or creditor can apply to the National Company Law Tribunal under Section 252 of the Companies Act, 2013 within 20 years of the strike-off, asking for restoration. NCLT tends to be fairly liberal where the strike-off was procedural and the business is genuinely operating, but restoration is never automatic, and the gap period - when the company didn't formally exist - leaves messy legal questions about what happened in between.
"Dormant" explained
Dormant is a deliberate, registered status under Section 455 of the Companies Act, 2013. It's used by companies that are intentionally inactive - typically a "shelf" company kept in reserve for a future project, or a holding entity created for IP, real estate, or licence-holding that wants lower compliance overhead.
A Dormant company files a simpler annual return (MSC-3) and is exempt from a lot of ongoing obligations. When the founders decide to resume operations, they file MSC-4 and the company reverts to Active.
Common questions
What does "Active - Non-Compliant" mean?
The company is still on the MCA register but has skipped a mandatory hygiene filing - usually INC-22A or DIR-3 KYC. Until the gap is cured, the directors typically can't sign any new e-forms.
Can a struck-off company be brought back?
Yes. Under Section 252 of the Companies Act, 2013, a director, member, creditor or worker can apply to NCLT for restoration within 20 years of the strike-off.
Is "Dormant" the same as "Inactive"?
Not quite. Dormant is a legal status under Section 455 with reduced compliance. "Inactive" is a colloquial term and may also describe Active-Non-Compliant or strike-off-pending companies - different things in law.
Can I do business with an under-liquidation company?
Only through the liquidator or resolution professional. Once liquidation is initiated, the board no longer has authority to act on behalf of the company.
How quickly does MCA refresh status?
Status changes are pushed to the registry as e-forms are processed. Aggregators like Infyner reflect the change with a small delay - typically same-day to a few days.
Where to go next
For more on the registry that issues these statuses, see MCA, ROC and CIN. Or just look up the status of the company you're researching.