RUN
What RUN means, how it works, a worked example, the mistakes we see and the questions founders ask.
DefinitionRUN (Reserve Unique Name) is the MCA web service for reserving a company or LLP name; new companies now reserve names through SPICe+ Part A, while RUN-LLP serves LLPs and RUN serves name changes.
RUN lets you propose up to two names, with a short note on their meaning and any trademark or approval attached, for a fee of ₹1,000, and the Central Registration Centre approves or rejects them within 2 to 3 working days. One resubmission is allowed on the same fee. For a new company the same check is now built into SPICe+ Part A, so RUN itself is used for changing an existing company's name. LLPs use RUN-LLP before filing FiLLiP. An approved name is reserved for 20 days for a new entity and 60 days for a name change. You meet it at the very start of incorporation. What it means for you: names that resemble an existing company, LLP or registered trademark, or that use restricted words, get rejected, so run a trademark and MCA search first.
How RUN works
Reserve Unique Name is the MCA's name-checking service. For a new company the check now happens inside SPICe+ Part A; RUN itself is used to change an existing company's name, or to reserve a name for an LLP under RUN-LLP. Either way the Registrar applies the same rules: the name must not be identical or too similar to an existing company or LLP, must not use a registered trademark in a related class without the owner's consent, must not suggest government patronage, and must end with the right words (Private Limited, Limited, LLP).
The applicant proposes up to two names with a short note on the meaning and the business. The Central Registration Centre approves, rejects with reasons, or asks for a resubmission (one is allowed without a fresh fee). An approved name is reserved for 20 days for a new company, 60 days for a change of name, within which the incorporation or the name change must be filed.
The ₹1,000 fee is not refunded on rejection, so a trademark search and a look at the MCA's company master data before applying saves both money and a week.
A Delhi company trading as 'Bluefin Logistics Private Limited' wants to rename itself 'Bluefin Mobility Private Limited'. It files RUN with the new name and a note on the pivot, gets approval in two days, and the name is held for 60 days. Within that window it passes a special resolution, files MGT-14 and INC-24, and receives the fresh certificate of incorporation with the new name and the same CIN.
Mistakes we see with RUN
- Choosing a name that matches a registered trademark in the company's own class; the Registrar checks the trademark register and rejects it.
- Using words like 'National', 'Board' or 'Authority' that need Central Government approval, without obtaining it.
- Letting the 20-day reservation expire before the incorporation documents are ready and paying again.
Last updated 19 October 2026. Checked against the MCA, GST, Income-tax and Trade Marks rules in force for October 2026.
Where you will meet this term
- Limited Liability PartnershipFor two or more partners running a services or professional firm who want limited liability with light compliance.from ₹4,999
- Private Limited CompanyFounders who plan to raise money or hirefrom ₹4,999
- Trademark RegistrationFounders, brands and sellers who want their name and logo protected before someone else files it.from ₹1,999
Questions founders ask about RUN
Is RUN still used for new companies?
Not directly. Name reservation for a new company is Part A of SPICe+, which applies the same rules. RUN is used for a change of name of an existing company, and RUN-LLP for LLP names.
How long is a reserved name valid?
20 days for a new company's name and 60 days for a change of name. The filing that uses the name must go in within that period, or the name lapses and a fresh application and fee are needed.
Why was my proposed name rejected?
The usual reasons are similarity to an existing company or LLP, a registered trademark in a related class, a word that needs government approval, or a name that is merely descriptive of the business. One resubmission is allowed without a fresh fee.