Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

About Class 3 DSC

DSCs are X.509 certificates under India’s Public Key Infrastructure. They are issued under the Identity Verification Guidelines (IVG) and Interoperability Guidelines (IOG) of the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), Ministry of Electronics and IT.

Class 3 DSCs come in two types: Individual (in your personal name) and Organisation (in your name as authorised signatory of a company, LLP or firm). Each is available as Signing only or Signing + Encryption, which many e-tender portals require. Validity is typically 1, 2 or 3 years. We help Indian and foreign applicants complete Aadhaar eKYC, PAN-based or paper-based verification, including video verification.

Common uses

• MCA e-filing
• Income Tax e-filing
• LLP and company registration
• GST
• IEC application and annual update (DGFT)
• ICEGATE registration and filing
• e-tenders (CPPP, GeM and State portals)

DSC for DGFT

Used by the applicant, IEC holder or its authorised signatory to sign online applications on the DGFT portal, including IEC updates and certificate of origin applications.

DSC for ICEGATE

A Class 3 DSC proves your identity when you sign electronically. With an encryption certificate, it also lets you send documents that only the intended recipient can open. ICEGATE requires a Class 3 DSC for registration and signed filings.

• Authentication: digital signatures authenticate the source of a message.
• Integrity: they show that the document has not been changed after signing.
• Non-repudiation: the signer cannot later deny having signed.
• Less paper: signed electronic filing on ICEGATE saves paper and courier time.

DSC for e-tenders

Government e-procurement portals, such as the Central Public Procurement Portal and State e-tender portals, require bidders to sign (and usually encrypt) bids with a Class 3 DSC. Check the tender document for the exact type needed.