NGO Darpan is a free online register of voluntary organisations run by NITI Aayog, with the software built by the National Informatics Centre. When an NGO signs up and its details are accepted, the portal generates a unique ID for it. That ID is how several government systems recognise the organisation: grant applications to central ministries and, since 2023, banks checking a non-profit customer.
The ID is not a registration of your NGO in the legal sense. Your trust deed, society certificate or Section 8 licence does that. Darpan is a listing that sits on top of an existing registration, so it comes after you have formed the organisation. If you are still at that stage and would rather have it handled, our NGO registration service helps you pick between a trust, society and Section 8 company and prepares the registration.
When you actually need the Darpan ID
The honest answer is: it depends on where your money comes from. Here is how it plays out across the common situations.
| Situation | Is the Darpan ID needed? |
|---|---|
| Applying for a grant from a central ministry or department | Yes. NITI Aayog’s Voluntary Action Cell describes the ID as required for NGOs seeking grants from central ministries and departments. Many state schemes ask for it too. |
| Applying for FCRA registration or prior permission | Check whether the application on the FCRA portal asks for Darpan details, and enrol before you start if it does. |
| Opening or running a bank account as a non-profit | Your bank has to register your details on Darpan under the 2023 amendment to the money-laundering record rules. Having your own ID ready makes this smoother. |
| CSR-1 registration with MCA | Not a requirement under the CSR rule itself, and the form notified in 2021 does not ask for it. Companies’ CSR teams often ask for it during due diligence anyway. |
| Income tax registration and donor approval (old 12A and 80G) | Not a legal precondition that we found, but keep the ID handy if the form or the officer asks for it. |
| Only local, individual donations | Not required. It still helps credibility, since anyone can look up a listed NGO. |
What the Darpan ID does not do
- It does not exempt your income from tax or give donors a deduction. Those need income tax registration and approval.
- It does not let you receive foreign money. That needs FCRA registration or prior permission.
- It is not a government endorsement. The details are self-declared by the NGO.
- It does not replace CSR-1 if you want to implement CSR projects for companies.
How to enrol
Enrolment happens on ngodarpan.gov.in. The flow, as it stands, runs roughly like this:
- Sign up with the NGO’s name, a mobile number and an email address, and verify the mobile by OTP.
- Enter the NGO’s PAN. The organisation’s own PAN, not a trustee’s. This is the most common hold-up for new NGOs that are still using a founder’s account.
- Complete the profile: registration authority, registration number and date, registered address, and contact details.
- Add the key people: details of the trustees, governing body members or directors the portal asks for, including their Aadhaar.
- Describe your work: the sectors you work in and the areas where you operate.
- Submit and wait for the details to be accepted, after which the unique ID is generated and shown in your login.
Documents to keep ready
- PAN card of the NGO
- Registration certificate (trust deed registration, society certificate, or certificate of incorporation with the Section 8 licence)
- Trust deed, memorandum and bye-laws, or memorandum and articles
- Names, designations, Aadhaar and contact details of the office bearers the portal asks for
- Income tax registration orders, FCRA details and recent annual reports, if you have them
Keeping the listing accurate
A Darpan profile goes stale quickly. When trustees or directors change, when you open in a new state, or when you get a new income tax order, update the profile. Grant reviewers and CSR teams compare your Darpan entry with your registration documents, and a mismatch in names or addresses is an easy reason to put an application aside.
Frequently asked questions
Can an individual or an unregistered group get a Darpan ID?
No. The portal is for registered organisations such as trusts, societies and Section 8 companies.
Does the ID expire?
We found no expiry rule, but the profile should be updated whenever your details change.
Is there a fee?
Enrolment on the portal itself is free.
Complianto (complianto.in), operated by Mentorcorp Private Limited, is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government body. We do not issue official documents. We charge a professional fee for application assistance and advisory services. Applicants can apply directly to the government without our fees via the official portals: MCA (mca.gov.in), Income Tax (incometax.gov.in), GST (gst.gov.in), MSME (udyamregistration.gov.in), FSSAI (foscos.fssai.gov.in), Startup India (startupindia.gov.in), and IP India (ipindia.gov.in).
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
