Digital Signature Certificate Class III 3 year

In the context of Digital Signature Certificates (DSC) in India, “Org” refers to the Organization category.

This specific type of DSC is issued to a person (the applicant) who is authorized to sign documents on behalf of an organization (Company, LLP, Partnership, Trust, or Government Department). It differs from an “Individual” DSC, which represents a person in their private capacity.

The following breakdown details when to use it, how it differs from individual certificates, and the requirements for obtaining one.

1. Organization vs. Individual DSC

The core difference lies in who the signature represents and what documents are needed to verify it.

2. When Do You Need an ‘Org’ DSC?

You generally need an Organization DSC if you are performing specific corporate or government-facing actions:

• e-Tendering / e-Procurement: Almost all government tenders (CPPP, GeM, Railway, IOCL) require a Class 3 Organization DSC. An individual DSC is often rejected here.

• GST & Income Tax: For signing returns on behalf of a company or firm.

• MCA (Ministry of Corporate Affairs): For Authorized Signatories signing company forms (though Directors often use Individual DSCs for their specific Director filings).

• Import/Export: For DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) filings, a specialized Org DSC (often with the IEC code embedded) is required.

3. Types of Organization DSCs

Currently, all DSCs issued are Class 3 (Class 2 has been discontinued). Within Class 3 ‘Org’, there are two main subtypes:

• Signing Only: Used simply to sign PDF documents, tax returns, or forms.

• Combo (Sign + Encrypt): Highly Recommended. This includes both a signing certificate and an encryption certificate.

  • Why you need it: Most e-tendering portals require you to “encrypt” your price bid documents so no one (not even the officials) can see your bid price before the opening date. If you are applying for tenders, you must get the Combo.

4. Documents Required

To get an Organization DSC, you must prove the existence of the company and your authorization to represent it.

• Applicant’s ID: PAN Card & Aadhaar/Passport.

• Organization Proof: GST Registration Certificate, Certificate of Incorporation, or Partnership Deed.

• Authorization: An Authorization Letter (on company letterhead) signed by a Director/Partner (other than the applicant) stating that the applicant is authorized to hold the DSC.

• Bank Statement: Often the latest 3 months of the organization’s bank statement is required.

5. How to Obtain One

You cannot download a DSC directly from a government website; you must buy it from a Licensed Certifying Authority (CA) or their partners.

• Major CAs in India: eMudhra, Capricorn, nCode, Safescrypt, Pantasign.

• Process:

  1. Buy the token online from a CA or reseller.

  2. Upload the scanned documents.

  3. Complete Video Verification (the applicant must record a short video on their phone reading a script).

  4. Once approved, download the certificate into a USB Cryptographic Token (like a pen drive).