Company Stamps and Seals in India: Common Seal, Rubber Stamp, and e-Stamping Explained
India uses the word "stamp" for three unrelated things, and paperwork regularly stalls because someone brought the wrong one. Here is the map.
1. The common seal — optional since 2015
The Companies (Amendment) Act 2015 made the common seal optional. Where older law required the embossed seal on share certificates, powers of attorney and similar instruments, a company without a seal now executes them with the signatures of two directors, or a director and the company secretary. Most companies incorporated since simply never adopt one.
2. The rubber stamp — no law, all practice
The round or rectangular inked rubber stamp has no statutory basis, but Indian banking and administration run on it:
- banks want the stamp on account forms, cheques deposited by companies, and board resolutions;
- government offices, courts and tender processes expect stamped-and-signed documents;
- invoices, purchase orders and delivery challans are stamped as a matter of course, often with "For [Company Name]" above a signature line and "Authorised Signatory" below it.
That "For XYZ Pvt Ltd — Authorised Signatory" round stamp is the single most common Indian format. Structurally it's the round layout of the corporate seal template: company name curved around the top, "Authorised Signatory" or the city along the bottom arc, plain center. Blue and violet inks dominate. You can build it in the online seal generator in minutes, export a transparent PNG for digital paperwork, or SVG for a local stamp maker; the PDF stamping tool places it on digital invoices, and the background remover digitizes an existing stamp.
3. Stamp duty and e-stamping — a tax, not your stamp
"Stamping" a document in the legal sense means paying stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act and state stamp laws — historically via stamp paper, now largely via e-stamping through the authorized system. This is a tax formality that affects whether an instrument is admissible in evidence. Your company rubber stamp has nothing to do with it and cannot substitute for it; conversely, duly e-stamped agreements don't need your rubber stamp to be valid.
Digital signatures (DSC)
India's IT Act 2000 gives legal recognition to digital signature certificates (DSC) issued by licensed certifying authorities. DSCs are mandatory for company filings with the MCA, tax returns and much of GST compliance — meaning every Indian company already holds the digital successor to the seal. A pasted stamp image on a PDF is visual convention, not a DSC; the difference is covered in electronic seal vs. electronic signature and are image seals legally valid?.
FAQ
Is a common seal required for Indian companies? No — optional since 2015; two authorized signatures replace it.
Is the rubber stamp legally required on invoices? No statute says so, but banks and many counterparties expect it, so operating without one is impractical.
Does the company stamp satisfy stamp duty? No. Stamp duty is a state tax paid through stamp paper or e-stamping; the rubber stamp is unrelated.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Verify current requirements with the MCA, your state's stamp authority, or a qualified professional.