How to Open Corporate NPS Account Online?

A company opens Corporate NPS by registering as a corporate with a Point of Presence (POP), which gets it a Corporate Head Office (CHO) registration at the CRA; after that, employees are enrolled under it and contributions flow through payroll every month. There is no registration fee and no minimum headcount. On paper the process takes one to two weeks; on PensionBox it is fully digital and the same platform runs the monthly payroll file afterwards.

Corporate NPS registration at a glance

Step 1: Choose a Point of Presence

The POP is the licensed intermediary between your company and the CRA. Banks and NBFCs offer it as a branch product; fintech platforms like PensionBox (which works with the POP Zerodha Broking Ltd) add the employee app, payroll integration and the nodal officer dashboard. Ask the POP three things: what they charge the company (PensionBox charges nothing), whether onboarding is digital, and who handles employee queries.

Step 2: Register the corporate with the POP

You fill one corporate registration form and attach the company's PAN, incorporation certificate or CIN, a board resolution or authorisation letter naming the signatory, the signatory's KYC and a cancelled cheque. You also name the Corporate Head Office (CHO) contact — usually HR or finance — who becomes the company's nodal officer. Large companies can add Corporate Branch Offices (CBO) for each location.

Step 3: Get the CRA registration

The POP forwards the form to the CRA. The CRA creates the corporate record, issues the corporate registration number and the CHO login used to upload contribution files. At this stage the company also sets its policy: the employer contribution percentage, whether employees may add their own share, and whether the company or each employee picks the pension fund manager.

Step 4: Enrol employees

Employees receive a sign-up link. New subscribers complete Aadhaar-based KYC, choose a fund manager and get a PRAN; employees who already have an NPS account shift the existing PRAN under the corporate instead of opening a new one — see how to shift an existing NPS account. If an employee's PRAN sits with a different CRA, a CRA shift is done first (up to 7 working days).

Step 5: Run monthly contributions

Each payroll cycle the nodal officer uploads the subscriber contribution file (employee-wise amounts) and remits the total through the POP; the CRA credits each PRAN. On PensionBox the file is generated from payroll and reconciled automatically, so missing or mismatched months are flagged before employees notice.

What does Corporate NPS cost the company?

• Registration: nil.
• Employer contribution: whatever the policy sets — deductible as a business expense under Section 36(1)(iva).
• Employee benefit: the employer share is tax-free for the employee under 80CCD(2) up to 10% of basic + DA (old regime) or 14% (new regime), within an overall ₹7.5 lakh a year cap on employer EPF + NPS + superannuation contributions — see employer contribution limit.
• Admin: the nodal officer's monthly file; on a digital POP this is a few minutes.

FAQs

Is there a minimum number of employees for Corporate NPS?

No. Any entity registered under the Companies Act, a co-operative society, a body set up by statute, a PSU or a registered foreign company can enrol, whatever its headcount.

Can we start with employer-only contributions?

Yes. The company chooses the model — employer-only, matched, or employee opt-in — at registration and can change it later.

Can employees who already have NPS join?

Yes; their PRAN is shifted under the corporate. No new account, no loss of history.

How long until the first contribution goes through?

Once the CRA registration is issued and employees are enrolled, the first payroll cycle can carry the contribution — realistically four to six weeks from the decision to the first credit.

Do we need a separate registration for each office?

No. One CHO registration covers the company; branches can be added as CBOs for reporting.

Corporate NPS = extra tax savings for your employees, zero cost to your company. Under Section 80CCD(2) it's deductible over and above the ₹1.5L 80C limit. PensionBox sets it up end-to-end. Offer Corporate NPS to your team →