(1) In the event of an acquirer, or a person acting in concert with such acquirer, becoming registered holder of ninety per cent. or more of the issued equity capital of a company, or in the event of any person or group of persons becoming ninety per cent. majority or holding ninety per cent. of the issued equity share capital of a , by virtue of an amalgamation, share exchange, conversion of or for any other reason, such acquirer, person or group of persons, as the case may be, shall notify the company of their intention to buy the remaining equity shares.

(2) The acquirer, person or group of persons under sub-section (1) shall offer to the minority shareholders of the company for buying the equity shares held by such shareholders at a price determined on the basis of valuation by a registered valuer in accordance with such rules

(3) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-sections (1) and (2), the minority shareholders of the company may offer to the majority shareholders to purchase the minority equity shareholding of the company at the price determined in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed under sub-section (2).

(4) The majority shareholders shall deposit an amount equal to the value of shares to be acquired by them under sub-section (2) or sub-section (3), as the case may be, in a separate bank account to be operated by the transferor company for at least one year for payment to the minority shareholders and such amount shall be disbursed to the entitled shareholders within sixty days:

Provided that such disbursement shall continue to be made to the entitled shareholders for a period of one year, who for any reason had not been made  disbursement within the said period of sixty days or if the disbursement have been made within the aforesaid period of sixty days, fail to receive or claim payment arising out of such disbursement.

(5) In the event of a purchase under this section, the transferor company shall act as a transfer agent for receiving and paying the price to the minority shareholders and for taking delivery of the shares and delivering such shares to the majority, as the case may be.

(6) In the absence of a physical delivery of shares by the shareholders within the time specified by the company, the share certificates shall be deemed to be cancelled, and the transferor company shall be authorised to issue shares in lieu of the cancelled shares and complete the transfer in accordance with law and make payment of the price out of deposit made under sub-section (4) by the majority in advance to the minority by despatch of such payment.

(7) In the event of a majority shareholder or shareholders requiring a full purchase and making payment of price by deposit with the company for any shareholder or shareholders who have died or ceased to exist, or whose heirs, successors, administrators or assignees have not been brought on record by transmission, the right of such shareholders to make an offer for sale of minority equity shareholding shall continue and be available for a period of three years from the date of majority acquisition or majority shareholding.

(8) Where the shares of minority shareholders have been acquired in pursuance of this section and as on or prior to the date of transfer following such acquisition, the shareholders holding seventy-five per cent. or more minority equity shareholding negotiate or reach an understanding on a higher price for any transfer, proposed or agreed upon, of the shares held by them without disclosing the fact or likelihood of transfer taking place on the basis of such negotiation, understanding or agreement, the majority shareholders shall share the additional compensation so received by them with such minority shareholders on a pro rata basis.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, the expressions “acquirer” and “person acting in concert” shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in clause (b) and clause (e) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 2 of the of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 1997.

(9) When a shareholder or the majority equity shareholder fails to acquire full purchase of the shares of the minority equity shareholders, then, the provisions of this section shall continue to apply to the residual minority equity shareholders, even though,—

(a) the shares of the company of the residual minority equity shareholder had been delisted; and

(b) the period of one year or the period specified in the regulations made by the Securities and Exchange Board under the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, had elapsed.

15.1.26- Companies (Compromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations) Rules, 2016

26. Notice to dissenting shareholders for acquiring the shares.— For the purposes of sub-section (1) of section 235 of the Act, the transferee company shall send a notice to the dissenting shareholder(s) of the transferor company, in at the last intimated address of such shareholder, for acquiring the shares of such dissenting shareholders.

— (1) The company shall within two weeks from the date of receipt of the amount equal to the price of shares to be acquired by the acquirer, under section 236 of the Act, verify the details of the minority shareholders holding shares in dematerialised form.

(2) After verification under sub-rule (1), the company shall send notice to such minority shareholders by registered post or by speed post or by courier or by email about a cut-off date, which shall not be earlier than one month after the date of sending of the notice, on which the shares of minority shareholders shall be debited from their account and credited to the designated DEMAT account of the company, unless the shares are credited in the account of the acquirer, as specified in such notice, before the cut-off date.

(3) A copy of the notice served to the minority shareholders under sub-rule (2), shall also be published simultaneously in two widely circulated newspapers (one in English and one in vernacular language) in the district in which the registered office of the company is situated and also be uploaded on the website of the company, if any.

(4)The company shall inform the depository immediately after publication of the notice under subrule (3) regarding the cut-off date and submit the following declarations stating that:-

(a) the corporate action is being effected in pursuance of the provisions of section 236 of the Act;

(b) the minority shareholders whose shares are held in dematerialised form have been informed about the corporate action [a copy of the notice served to such shareholders and published in the newspapers to be attached];

(c) the minority shareholders shall be paid by the company immediately after completion of corporate action;

(d) any dispute or complaints arising out of such corporate action shall be the sole responsibility of the company.

(5) For the purposes of effecting transfer of shares through corporate action, the Board shall authorise the Company Secretary, or in his absence any other person, to inform the depository under sub-rule (4), and to submit the documents as may be required under the said sub-rule.

(6) Upon receipt of information under sub-rule (4), the depository shall make the transfer of shares of the minority shareholders, who have not, on their own, transferred their shares in favour of the acquirer, into the designated DEMAT account of the company on the cut-off date and intimate the company.

(7) After receiving the intimation of successful transfer of shares from the depository under sub-rule (6), the company shall immediately disburse the price of the shares so transferred, to each of the minority shareholders after deducting the applicable stamp duty, which shall be paid by the company, on behalf of the minority shareholders, in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 (2 of 1899).

(8) Upon successful payment to the minority shareholders under sub-rule (7), the company shall inform the depository to transfer the shares of such shareholders, kept in the designated DEMAT account of the company, to the DEMAT account of the acquirer.

Explanation. – The company shall continue to disburse payment to the entitled shareholders, where disbursement could not be made within the specified time, and transfer the shares to the DEMAT account of acquirer after such disbursement.

(9) In case, where there is a specific order of Court or Tribunal, or statutory authority restraining any transfer of such shares and payment of dividend, or where such shares are pledged or hypothecated under the provisions of the Depositories Act, 1996 (22 of 1996), the depository shall not transfer the shares of the minority shareholders to the designated DEMAT account of the company under
sub-rule (6).

Explanation. – For the purposes of this rule, if ―cut-off date‖ falls on a holiday, the next working day shall be deemed to be the ―cut-off date.

15.1.27- Companies (Compromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations) Rules, 2016

27. Determination of price for purchase of minority shareholding.— For the purposes of sub-section (2) of section 236 of the Act, the registered valuer shall determine the price (hereinafter called as offer price) to be paid by the acquirer, person or group of persons referred to in sub-section (1) of section 236 of the Act for purchase of equity shares of the minority shareholders of the company, in accordance with the following rules:-

(1) In the case of a listed company,-

(i) the offer price shall be determined in the manner as may be specified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India under the relevant regulations framed by it, as may be applicable; and

(ii) the registered valuer shall also provide a valuation report on the basis of valuation addressed to the Board of directors of the company giving justification for such valuation.

(2) In the case of an unlisted company and a private company,

(i) the offer price shall be determined after taking into account the following factors:-

(a) the highest price paid by the acquirer, person or group of persons for acquisition during last twelve months;

(b) the fair price of shares of the company to be determined by the registered valuer after taking into account valuation parameters including return on net worth, book value of shares, earning per share, price earning multiple vis-à-vis the industry average, and such other parameters as are customary for valuation of shares of such companies; and

(ii) the registered valuer shall also provide a valuation report on the basis of valuation addressed to the board of directors of the company giving justification for such valuation.

Commencement Notification dated 09.02.2018

Enforcement Notification S.O. 3677(E) dated 07/12/2016

The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2017 (Effective from 03.01.2018)