valid as on 20/11/2024

Section 16.Rectification of name of company.
Effective from 01-04-2014

Regulation 45 of LODR

(1) If, through inadvertence or otherwise, a  on its first registration or on its registration by a new name, is registered by a name which,—

 in the opinion of the  is identical with or too nearly resembles the name by which a company in existence had been previously registered, whether under this Act or any , it may direct the company to change its name and the company shall change its name or new name, as the case may be, within a period of three months from the issue of such direction, after adopting an ordinary resolution for the purpose;

(b) on an application by a registered proprietor of a trade mark that the name is identical with or too nearly resembles to a registered trade mark of such proprietor under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 (47 of 1999), made to the Central Government within three years of incorporation or registration or change of name of the company, whether under this Act or any previous company law, in the opinion of the Central Government, is identical with or too nearly resembles to an existing trade mark, it may direct the company to change its name and the company shall change its name or new name, as the case may be, within a period of six months from the issue of such direction, after adopting an ordinary resolution for the purpose.

(2) Where a company changes its name or obtains a new name under sub-section (1), it shall within a period of fifteen days from the date of such change, give notice of the change to the along with the order of the Central Government, who shall carry out necessary changes in the certificate of incorporation and the .

 If a company is in default in complying with any direction given under sub-section (1), the Central Government shall allot a new name to the company in such manner as may be prescribed and the Registrar shall enter the new name in the register of companies in place of the old name and issue a fresh certificate of incorporation with the new name, which the company shall use thereafter:

Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall prevent a company from subsequently changing its name in accordance with the provisions of section 13.

(3) If a company makes default in complying with any direction given under sub-section (1), the company shall be punishable with fine of one thousand rupees for every day during which the default continues and every shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than five thousand rupees but which may extend to one lakh rupees.

Company means a company incorporated under this Act or under any previous company law
Refer General Circular 04/2017. To view the clarification,Click Here
1.  Supersession of Notification S.O 1352 (E) vide  notification S.O. 4090(E)

2. Delegation of power to Regional Directors at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Shillong vide notification S.O. 4090(E). To view the notification,Click Here

2(67) Previous company law means any of the laws specified below: —

(i) Acts relating to companies in force before the Indian Companies Act, 1866 (10 of 1866);

(ii) the Indian Companies Act, 1866 (10 of 1866);

(iii) the Indian Companies Act, 1882 (6 of 1882);

(iv) the Indian Companies Act, 1913 (7 of 1913);

(v) the Registration of Transferred Companies Ordinance, 1942 (Ord. 54 of 1942);

(vi) the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956); and

(vii) any law corresponding to any of the aforesaid Acts or the Ordinances and in force—

(A) in the merged territories or in a Part B State (other than the State of Jammu and Kashmir), or any part thereof, before the extension thereto of the Indian Companies Act, 1913 (7 of 1913); or

(B) in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, or any part thereof, before the commencement of the Jammu and Kashmir (Extension of Laws) Act, 1956 (62 of 1956), in so far as banking, insurance and financial corporations are concerned, and before the commencement of the Central Laws (Extension to Jammu and Kashmir) Act, 1968 (25 of 1968), in so far as other corporations are concerned;

(viii) the Portuguese Commercial Code, in so far as it relates to sociedades anonimas; and

(ix) the Registration of Companies (Sikkim) Act, 1961 (Sikkim Act 8 of 1961)(Not notified)

Substituted vide Companies (Amendment) Act, 2020 dated 28.09.2020. To view the notification,Click Here and effective from 1st September, 2021. To view the notification, Click Here
2(75) Registrar means a Registrar, an Additional Registrar, a Joint Registrar, a Deputy Registrar or an Assistant Registrar, having the duty of registering companies and discharging various functions under this Act
2(56) Memorandum means the memorandum of association of a company as originally framed or as altered from time to time in pursuance of any previous company law or of this Act
Substituted vide Companies (Amendment) Act, 2020 dated 28.09.2020. To view the notification, Click Here and effective from 1st September, 2021. To view the notification, Click Here
2(60) Officer who is in default, for the purpose of any provision in this Act which enacts that an officer of the company who is in default shall be liable to any penalty or punishment by way of imprisonment, fine or otherwise, means any of the following officers of a company, namely: —

(i) whole-time director;

(ii) key managerial personnel;

(iii) where there is no key managerial personnel, such director or directors as specified by the Board in this behalf and who has or have given his or their consent in writing to the Board to such specification, or all the directors, if no director is so specified;

(iv) any person who, under the immediate authority of the Board or any key managerial personnel, is charged with any responsibility including maintenance, filing or distribution of accounts or records, authorises, actively participates in, knowingly permits, or knowingly fails to take active steps to prevent, any default;

(v) any person in accordance with whose advice, directions or instructions the Board of Directors of the company is accustomed to act, other than a person who gives advice to the Board in a professional capacity;

(vi) every director, in respect of a contravention of any of the provisions of this Act, who is aware of such contravention by virtue of the receipt by him of any proceedings of the Board or participation in such proceedings without objecting to the same, or where such contravention had taken place with his consent or connivance;

(vii) in respect of the issue or transfer of any shares of a company, the share transfer agents, registrars and merchant bankers to the issue or transfer

Commencement Notification dated 22.07.2021


Companies (Amendment) Act, 2020 dated 28.09.2020


Delegations of Powers to Regional Directors S.O. 4090(E) dated 19/12/2016


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


MCA Notification dated 02.08.2023 regarding Companies (Incorporation) Second Amendment Rules, 2023


MCA Notification dated 19.01.2023 regarding Companies (Incorporation) Amendment Rules, 2023


Powers delegated to Regional Director [S.O 1352 (E)] dated 21/05/2014


General Circular 04/2017


Form RD-1 – Substituted vide MCA Notification dated 19.01.2023


Form RD-1 – Substituted vide MCA Notification dated 02.08.2023


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