valid as on 18/11/2024

Section 191. Payment to director for loss of office, etc., in connection with transfer of undertaking, property or shares
Effective from 01-04-2014

(1) No director of a  shall, in connection with—

(a) the transfer of the whole or any part of any undertaking or property of the company; or

(b) the transfer to any person of all or any of the in a company being a transfer resulting from—

(i) an offer made to the general body of shareholders;

(ii) an offer made by or on behalf of some other  with a view to a company becoming a of such body corporate or a subsidiary company of its ;

(iii) an offer made by or on behalf of an individual with a view to his obtaining the right to exercise, or control the exercise of, not less than one-third of the at any general meeting of the company; or

(iv) any other offer which is conditional on acceptance to a given extent, receive any payment by way of compensation for loss of office or as consideration for retirement from office, or in connection with such loss or retirement from such company or from the transferee of such undertaking or property, or from the transferees of shares or from any other person, not being such company, unless particulars  with respect to the payment proposed to be made by such transferee or person, including the amount thereof, have been disclosed to the of the company and the proposal has been approved by the company in general meeting.

(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall affect any payment made by a company to a   or or  of the company by way of compensation for loss of office or as consideration for retirement from office or in connection with such loss or retirement subject to limits or priorities, .

(3) If the payment under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) is not approved for want of quorum either in a meeting or an adjourned meeting, the proposal shall not be deemed to have been approved.

(4) Where a director of a company receives payment of any amount in contravention of sub-section (1) or the proposed payment is made before it is approved in the meeting, the amount so received by the director shall be deemed to have been received by him in trust for the company.

(5) If a director of the company contravenes the provisions of this section, such director shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than twenty-five thousand rupees but which may extend to one lakh rupees.

(6) Nothing in this section shall be taken to prejudice the operation of any law requiring disclosure to be made with respect to any payment received under this section or such other like payments made to a director.

2(20) Company means a company incorporated under this Act or under any previous company law
2(84) Share means a share in the share capital of a company and includes stock
2(11) Body Corporate includes a company incorporated outside India, but does not include—

(i) a co-operative society registered under any law relating to co-operative societies; and

(ii) any other body corporate (not being a company as defined in this Act), which the Central Government may, by notification, specify in this behalf

2(87) Subsidiary Company or Subsidiary, in relation to any other company (that is to say the holding company), means a company in which the holding company—

(i) controls the composition of the Board of Directors; or

(ii) exercises or controls more than one-half of the total voting power either at its own or together with one or more of its subsidiary companies:

Provided that such class or classes of holding companies as may be prescribed shall not have layers of subsidiaries beyond such numbers  as may be prescribed.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause,—

(a) a company shall be deemed to be a subsidiary company of the holding company even if the control referred to in sub-clause (i) or sub-clause (ii) is of another subsidiary company of the holding company;

(b) the composition of a company’s Board of Directors shall be deemed to be controlled by another company if that other company by exercise of some power exercisable by it at its discretion can appoint or remove all or a majority of the directors;

(c) the expression “company” includes any body corporate;

(d) “layer” in relation to a holding company means its subsidiary or subsidiaries.

2(46) Holding Company, in relation to one or more other companies, means a company of which such companies are subsidiary companies.

Explanation.- For the purposes of this clause, the expression “company” includes any body corporate;

 2(89) Total voting power, in relation to any matter, means the total number of votes which may be cast in regard to that matter on a poll at a meeting of a company if all the members thereof or their proxies having a right to vote on that matter are present at the meeting and cast their votes
Refer rule 17 of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules,2014. To view the rule,Click Here
2(55) Member, in relation to a company, means—

(i) the subscriber to the memorandum of the company who shall be deemed to have agreed to become member of the company, and on its registration, shall be entered as member in its register of members;

(ii) every other person who agrees in writing to become a member of the company and whose name is entered in the register of members of the company;

(iii) every person holding shares of the company and whose name is entered as a beneficial owner in the records of a depository

2(54) Managing Director means a director who, by virtue of the articles of a company or an agreement with the company or a resolution passed in its general meeting, or by its Board of Directors, is entrusted with substantial powers of management of the affairs of the company and includes a director occupying the position of managing director, by whatever name called.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, the power to do administrative acts of a routine nature when so authorised by the Board such as the power to affix the common seal of the company to any document or to draw and endorse any cheque on the account of the company in any bank or to draw and endorse any negotiable instrument or to sign any certificate of share or to direct registration of transfer of any share, shall not be deemed to be included within the substantial powers of management.

2(94) Whole-time director includes a director in the whole-time employment of the company
2(53) Manager means an individual who, subject to the superintendence, control and direction of the Board of Directors, has the management of the whole, or substantially the whole, of the affairs of a company, and includes a director or any other person occupying the position of a manager, by whatever name called, whether under a contract of service or not.
Refer Rule 17-Companies (Meetings of Board and its Powers) Rules,2014.To view the rule,Click Here
Substituted vide the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2019 dated 31.07.2019 w.e.f., 02.11.2018. To view the Amendment Act,Click Here. To view the Ordinance, 2018 Click Here

12.1.17-Companies (Meetings of Board and its Powers) Rules,2014

17. Payment to director for loss of office, etc. in connection with transfer of undertaking, property or shares.

(1)No director of a company shall receive any payment by way of compensation in connection with any event mentioned in sub-section (1) of section 191 unless the following particulars are disclosed to the members of the company and they pass a resolution at a general meeting approving the payment of such amount —

(a) name of the director;
(b) amount proposed to be paid;
(c) event due to which compensation become payable;
(d) date of Board meeting recommending such payment;
(e) basis for the amount determined;
(f) reason or justification for the payment;
(g) manner of payment – whether payable in cash or otherwise and how;
(h) sources of payment; and
(i) any other relevant particulars as the Board may think fit.

(2) Any payment made by a company by way of compensation for the loss of office or as a consideration for retirement from office or in connection with such loss or retirement, to a managing director or or manager of the company shall not exceed the limit as set out under section 202.

(3) No payment shall be made to the managing director or whole time director or manager of the company by way of compensation for the loss of office or as consideration for retirement from office (other than notice pay and statutory payments in accordance with the terms of appointment of such director or manager, as applicable) or in connection with such loss or retirement if —

(a) the company is in default in repayment of public deposits or payment of interest thereon;
(b) the company is in default in redemption of debentures or payment of interest thereon;
(c) the company is in default in repayment of any liability, secured or unsecured, payable to any bank, public financial institution or any other financial institution;
(d) the company is in default in payment of any dues towards income tax, VAT, excise duty, service tax or any other tax or duty, by whatever name called, payable to the Central Government or any State Government, statutory authority or local authority (other than in cases where the company has disputed the liability to pay such dues);
(e) there are outstanding statutory dues to the employees or workmen of the company which have not been paid by the company (other than in cases where the company has disputed the liability to pay such dues); and
(f) the company has not paid dividend on preference shares or not redeemed preference shares on due date.

Explanation : Pending notification of sub-section (1) of section 247 of the Act and finalisation of qualifications and experience of valuers, valuation of stocks, shares, debentures, securities etc. will be conducted by an independent merchant banker who is registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India or an independent chartered accountant in practice having a minimum experience of ten years.

 “whole-time director” includes a director in the whole-time employment of the company

Enforcement Notification S.O. 902(E) dated 26/03/2014


The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2019 dated 31.07.2019


The Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 dated 02.11.2018 [repealed vide the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019]


The Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 dated 12.01.2019 w.e.f., 02.11.2018


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