Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

Your digital signature, sorted in a day or two

A Digital Signature Certificate is the electronic equivalent of your handwritten signature, with the same legal standing under the Information Technology Act, 2000. If you are a company director, an LLP partner, an authorised signatory, or you file income-tax returns or government tenders, you need one. Adv. Bhawna Yadav and her team get you a Class 3 DSC at a flat ₹1,000, fully online, with the USB token included, usually within one to two working days.

The fee is fixed and agreed in writing — no hourly billing, nothing added later, and no upselling.

What a DSC is, in plain terms

A DSC proves two things electronically: that a document genuinely came from you, and that it has not been altered since you signed it. Because the law gives it the same effect as a wet-ink signature, government and corporate systems rely on it for anything that must be authenticated remotely. In practice, that means you cannot complete most company, tax and tender work without one.

Who needs a Digital Signature Certificate

Company directors and LLP partners

Incorporating or running a company or LLP requires the signatories to sign electronically. If you are setting up a business, a DSC is one of the first things you will need — which is why we often issue it alongside an LLP or company registration.

Authorised signatories for GST and tax

Companies and LLPs sign their GST and certain income-tax filings with a DSC. Authorised signatories therefore need a valid certificate to keep filings on time.

Tender and procurement bidders

Government e-procurement and tender portals require bidders to sign and submit electronically with a Class 3 DSC. Without one, you simply cannot bid.

Individuals filing returns or forms

Professionals and individuals who e-verify income-tax returns or sign other statutory forms electronically use a DSC for a faster, paper-free process.

Why Class 3 is the only option now

DSCs used to come in classes. The older Class 2 certificate has been discontinued for new applicants, so Class 3 is the single class issued today. Class 3 carries the highest level of identity assurance, which is why it is accepted across company, tax, GST and tender systems alike. When we issue your certificate, it is Class 3 by default — there is no lower-grade option to be talked into or out of.

Signing only, or signing plus encryption

There are two flavours of Class 3 certificate. A signing certificate lets you sign documents and is what most people need. A signing-plus-encryption certificate also lets you encrypt documents, which matters for certain tender and procurement processes. We ask what you will use it for and advise on the right one — rather than defaulting you to the more expensive option.

Validity and renewal

A DSC is valid for two years from the date of issue. As it nears expiry, it simply needs to be renewed — priced the same as a new certificate. If you would like, we will track the date and remind you before it lapses, so a filing or a tender deadline never catches you with an expired signature.

Fully online — no office visit

The entire process is remote. An Aadhaar-based check and a short live video verification are enough to confirm your identity, and your USB token reaches you without you visiting anywhere. For busy directors and signatories, that is the point: a legally valid signature set up around your schedule, not a registry's.

DSC for foreign nationals

A foreign director or signatory can hold an Indian DSC too. The requirements are a little different — an apostilled passport copy and a foreign-address proof — and we handle these as part of setting up a foreign-owned company or LLP. See the India-entry desk for foreign clients.

Why clients choose us for a DSC

It is a small certificate, but a stuck one stalls everything downstream — an incorporation, a GST filing, a tender deadline. We treat it accordingly: a flat ₹1,000, issued in one to two days, with the right certificate type advised for your use and the token delivered to you. You deal with a named advocate and her team, in English or Hindi, and there is no upselling.

Where your DSC is used day to day

Once you have a Class 3 DSC, it becomes the key to most of your statutory digital life. You will use it to sign company and LLP filings, to authenticate GST submissions as an authorised signatory, to e-verify income-tax returns, to register for and respond to provident-fund and employee-insurance matters, and to bid on government tenders. In short, it is not a one-off — it is a credential you will reach for repeatedly across the year, which is exactly why it is worth having issued cleanly and kept valid.

Often issued alongside your registration

A DSC rarely travels alone. If you are incorporating a company or an LLP, registering for GST as a signatory, or preparing to bid on tenders, the certificate is a prerequisite — so we frequently issue it as part of a larger piece of work, timed so it is ready exactly when the downstream filing needs it. If you only need the certificate itself, that is perfectly fine too: ₹1,000, one to two days, nothing bundled on that you did not ask for.

Keeping your DSC secure

Because your DSC carries the legal weight of your signature, the USB token it lives on should be treated like a signing seal: kept by you, not shared, and its password known only to you. If a token is lost, the certificate can be revoked and reissued. We give you simple setup and safekeeping instructions when your token is delivered, so you can use it confidently from day one.

The legal basis

Digital Signature Certificates in India are issued under Section 35 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with the IT (Certifying Authorities) Rules, 2000, and overseen by the Controller of Certifying Authorities.