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The Companies Act, 2013

Chapter II - Incorporation of Company and Matters Incidental Thereto (3-22)

Section 21- Authentication of documents, proceedings and contracts

[Notification/Effective Date: 12.09.2013] 

Section 21- Authentication of documents, proceedings and contracts [Corresponds to Section 54 of the Companies Act,1956]

Save as otherwise provided in this Act,—

(a) a document or proceeding requiring authentication by a company, or

(b) contracts made by or on behalf of a company,

may be signed by any key managerial personnel or an officer of the company duly authorised by the Board in this behalf.


[In Section 21, the word "an officer"  be read as " an officer or any other person"  for the unlisted public company which is licensed to operate by the Reserve Bank of India or the Securities and Exchange Board of  India or the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India from the International Financial Services Centre located in an approved multi services Special Economic Zone set-up under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 (28 of 2005) read with the Special Economic Zones Rules, 2006 -Notification G.S.R. 08(E) dated 04.01.2017 ]