Section 236 Purchase of minority shareholding – Companies Act 2013

Amended and updated notes on section 236 of Companies Act 2013. Detail discussion on provisions and rules related to purchase of minority shareholding.

Amended and updated notes on section 236 of Companies Act 2013. Detail discussion on provisions and rules related to purchase of minority shareholding.

Chapter XV (Sections 230240) of the Companies Act, 2013 (CA 2013) deals with the provisions related to Compromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations. Section 236 of CA 2013 provides for purchase of minority shareholding.

Recently, we have discussed in detail section 235 (Power to acquire shares of shareholders dissenting from scheme or contract approved by majority) of CA 2013. Today, we learn the provisions of section 236 of Companies Act 2013.

The provisions of section 236 are effective from 15-Dec-2016. You may refer Notification No. S.O. 3677(E) issued dated 07-12-2016. In this article, you will learn detail of the provisions of section 236 of the Companies Act 2013 read with the Companies (Compromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations) Rules, 2016.

Name of ActThe Companies Act 2013
Enacted byParliament of India
Administered byMinistry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)
Number of Chapters29
Number of Sections484 (470-43+57)
Number of Schedules7
You are reading:
Chapter No.XV
Chapter NameCompromises, Arrangements and Amalgamations
Section No.236
Section NamePurchase of minority shareholding
Monthly Updated EditionCompany Law PDF

Section 236 of Companies Act 2013: Purchase of minority shareholding

Section 236 shall come into force on 15th December, 2016 vide Notification No. S.O. 3677(E) dated 07.12.2016.

(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 share 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 company, by virtue of an amalgamation, share exchange, conversion of securities 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 as may be prescribed.

(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 company whose shares are being transferred 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 company whose shares are being transferred 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 company whose shares are being transferred 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 Securities and Exchange Board 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.


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