India is no longer an emerging market. It has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and with a projected growth of 7.4%, it clearly outpaces most developed markets.
For international businesses, this can translate into a real opportunity for expansion. The potential to access a massive domestic market and a financial system that is becoming increasingly integrated with global trade and investment networks is an exceptional chance to seize for organizations.
However, growth at this scale requires a structure. India’s financial ecosystem is tightly regulated. Foreign companies looking for financial activities in India have to meet specific standards before they can begin, whether they want to:
- Lend
- Borrow
- Invest
- Trade
- Transact
Entering the market without the right infrastructure can block banking access, delay transactions, and stop your expansion entirely.
Here are the top 8 most critical financial infrastructure tools you need to operate in India.
#1. Legal & Entity Identity: LEI Register India
Getting a recognized legal identity for international businesses operating in India is the top priority. An LEI, Legal Entity Identifier, is non-negotiable. Indian regulators require businesses to have unique identifiers for any financial activity, whether corporate borrowings, capital market involvements, or processing high-value deals through Indian banks.
LEI Register India is built to meet these requirements. They provide coverage on RBI and SEBI compliance. They offer transparent pricing in Indian Rupees. Additionally, as the application process is API-driven is connects directly with Indian business data sources, the LEI gets issued within hours. Finally, LEI Register India also automatically manages reporting to the GLEIF.
#2. Regulatory Data & Transparency: GLEIF
Operating in India’s financial system needs more than LEI registration. Regulators, banks, and counterparties tend to verify who they do business with to assess risk. This is where the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF for short) is crucial. To put it simply, GLEIF oversees the global LEI system and is designed to ensure that entity data is consistent, reliable, and publicly accessible.
#3. Payment Rails Inside India: Cashfree Payments
Businesses need reliable ways to move money within India’s financial system. Payment execution in India can be different from what businesses are used to in Western markets. Payments can be made via UPI, Net Banking, and direct bank integrations. Cashfree Payments is specifically designed to fit this environment, offering India-native payment and API banking infrastructure to support collections and payouts.
This removes frictions for international companies that would otherwise rely on international card networks or offshore payment providers. Besides, Cashfree also integrates directly with Indian banks and enables automated payment flows.
#4. Banking Access: Wise Business
International companies expanding to India need access to functional banking infrastructure. Before companies can establish a local banking relationship, they need a way to hold funds, move capital across borders, and manage currencies. Wise Business fulfills this role and provides multi-currency accounts for international operations while maintaining financial control.
This is particularly beneficial to businesses with operations spanning multiple regions as it reduces the complexity of currency conversion and international transfers. This is a bridge between global operations and local financial systems.
#5. Risk & Compliance Intelligence: Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet can provide the data and analytics that help international companies assess:
- Business credibility
- Financial stability
- Risk exposure
Ultimately, high-growth markets, such as India, are home to opportunities but also risks. So, before entering transactions, companies need to evaluate their partners, borrowers, and counterparties.
Thai is also part of healthy decision-making processes in cross-border operations, providing credit insights, company profiles, and risk indicators. This can also be used alongside LEI-based identity verification to bring more depth to the compliance processes.
#6. Accounting & Reporting: Zoho Finance Plus
Accurate accounting and compliant reporting are crucial to maintain operational stability in India. So, it’s helpful to have a system that is designed to support audits, regulatory checks, and international decision-making at this stage. Zoho Finance Plus is one of those tools that offer an integrated suite of tools specifically designed to help manage invoicing, expenses, reconciliations, and reporting under one single system.
For international companies, it is the kind of visibility that makes a difference when running operations across borders. Additionally, Zoho has a strong presence in India, which is why it is best-suited to local reporting expectations.
#7. Market Entry & Governance Support: TMF Group
Entering the Indian market often requires more than setting up systems and processes. Corporate structuring, governance, and statutory compliance play a major role in whether an expansion is sustainable over the long term. TMF Group specializes in helping international businesses establish and manage compliant local operations, handling everything from entity setup to ongoing governance and reporting obligations.
For companies unfamiliar with India’s regulatory landscape, this support can significantly reduce risk and administrative burden. TMF Group works alongside internal teams to ensure that legal structures, payroll, and statutory filings align with local requirements.
#8. Financial Operations Infrastructure: Stripe Treasury
Managing money at a system level becomes just as important as moving it when cross-border operations start to mature. Financial operations infrastructure supports treasury functions, such as:
- Fund flows
- Balances
- Liquidity
all across multiple entities and markets. Stripe Treasury brings embedded financial capabilities. This allows businesses to build more sophisticated financial workflows directly into their platforms and operations.
For international companies operating in India alongside other regions, this layer helps centralize control while supporting scale. Treasury tooling enables better visibility into cash positions, improves financial planning, and supports more complex transaction structures.
The Financial Infrastructure Tool Suite for India
Businesses that are looking to expand to India need to ensure they have the right financial infrastructure tools and solutions strategy from the start. Each brand here covers a different, and equally important, aspect of this journey, from legal identity registration through LEI Register India to complex financial workflow management with Stripe Treasury.
The question is never whether you can find the best solution, as each one is indispensable. The key for global businesses approaching the Indian market is to come prepared with the knowledge that regulation, payment expectations, and financial management may operate differently from their own local market.
