Project Office

A project office is relevant where a foreign company has a specific project, assignment, contract, or execution responsibility in India. It is generally linked to that project and is not designed as a permanent or broad-based business presence.

This structure may be considered by companies involved in infrastructure, engineering, construction, consulting, technical execution, project management, installation, or other project-based work. The suitability of a project office depends on the contract, sector, funding arrangement, duration, applicant profile, and applicable regulatory conditions.

Who is this for?

• Foreign companies awarded a specific India project or contract
• Infrastructure, engineering, construction, and technical execution firms
• Groups needing a defined, time-bound presence

What it involves

A project office should be viewed as purpose-linked. It exists because of a specific India project. It may require separate accounting, project-level records, tax review, banking arrangements, regulatory filings, and closure planning once the project is completed.

Eraqus Advisors helps foreign companies review whether a project office is suitable for their India contract, documentation, approval pathway, project records, parent company information, local representative details, compliance obligations, and closure requirements.

Key considerations

• The contract, sector, funding arrangement, and project duration
• Project-level accounting and separate records
• Banking arrangements and regulatory filings
• Local representative details and parent company information
• Closure planning once the project is complete

Ongoing compliance

A project office can provide a practical structure for a defined project in India, but it requires discipline from the beginning. The project, the records, the funds, the accounts, and the closure process should all be planned in a coordinated manner.