Country dossier · 4 facts on file · audited 2026-08-27
Form FS-04 · Country dossier: INIndia · Not a government filing
India is the largest market of founders locked out of Stripe: Indian onboarding is invite-only, with a waitlist and no published reopening date. A US LLC is the standard workaround — but Indian residents invest abroad inside RBI's overseas-investment framework, so the structure has real rules attached, not just paperwork.
India has a US income tax treaty (it appears on the IRS treaty list). Treaty relief on your personal Indian taxes is an adviser question — owning a US LLC does not change your Indian residency or filing duties.
Source: IRS — United States income tax treaties A to Z
Stripe marks India as "Preview": services are invite-only, existing accounts continue, and new businesses join a waitlist — Stripe publishes no reopening date. This is the single biggest reason Indian founders form US companies.
Source: Stripe — global availability page and India support notice
India is not on Mercury's prohibited-countries list, so Indian founders of US companies can apply; Mercury cannot mail physical cards to India (virtual cards work). Wise supports sending to India, and your US LLC itself can hold a Wise Business account.
Source: Mercury eligibility and card-issuance policies (corroborated)
Indian residents fund foreign companies through the Liberalised Remittance Scheme — up to USD 250,000 per financial year — and their overseas investment must follow the Overseas Investment Rules 2022: the foreign entity must be limited-liability (a US LLC qualifies), must not do financial-services business, and an individually-owned one generally must not hold its own subsidiaries. File the ODI reporting; this framework is why Indian founders should form with a CA involved.
Source: RBI LRS FAQ; RBI Master Direction — Overseas Investment (corroborated)
Filed under: IN · not legal or tax advice
Yes. Forming and owning a US LLC requires no US citizenship, residency, visa, or visit — you file online from India and appoint a registered agent in your chosen state. The wizard walks the exact steps for non-US founders.
India has a US income tax treaty (it appears on the IRS treaty list). Treaty relief on your personal Indian taxes is an adviser question — owning a US LLC does not change your Indian residency or filing duties.
State fees differ by hundreds of dollars across the 51 US jurisdictions and change often — so we never quote them in prose. The True Cost Calculator shows every state's filing fee, recurring fees, and a 3-year total, each figure dated and checked against the state's official schedule.
No US entity removes your home-country obligations: you remain a India tax resident, and local rules on foreign companies apply on top of the US side. Treat the dossier above as a map of what to ask a licensed adviser in India — not as advice.