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The Companies Act, 2013

Chapter XII - Meetings of Board and Its Powers (173-195)

Section 173- Meetings of Board.

[Notification Date: 26.03.2014; Effective from: 01.04.2014]

Section 173- Meetings of Board. [Corresponds to Section 285, 286 of the Companies Act, 1956]; [Relevant Rule:3, 4 of The Companies (Meeting of Board and its Powers) Rules, 2014]

(1) Every company shall hold the first meeting of the Board of Directors within thirty days of the date of its incorporation and thereafter hold a minimum number of four meetings of its Board of Directors every year in such a manner that not more than one hundred and twenty days shall intervene between two consecutive meetings of the Board:


In respect to  Section 8 company sub-section (1) shall apply only to the extent that the Board of Directors, of such Companies shall hold at least one meeting within every six calendar months- [ Notification F. No. 1/2/2014-CL.I dated 05.06.2015].


Provided that the Central Government may, by notification, direct that the provisions of this sub-section shall not apply in relation to any class or description of companies or shall apply subject to such exceptions, modifications or conditions as may be specified in the notification.

Provided further that a Specified IFSC public company shall hold the first meeting of the Board of Directors within sixty days of its incorporation and thereafter hold atleast one meeting of the Board of Directors in each half of a calendar year.       [second proviso inserted vide Notification G.S.R. 08(E) dated 04.01.2017]

(2) The participation of directors in a meeting of the Board may be either in person or through video conferencing or other  audio visual means, as may be prescribed - [Rule 3], which are capable of recording and recognising the participation of the directors and of recording and storing the proceedings of such meetings along with date and time:

Provided that the Central Government may, by notification, specify such matters which shall not be dealt with in a meeting through video conferencing or other audio visual means.

(3) A meeting of the Board shall be called by giving not less than seven days’ notice in writing  to every director at his address registered with the company and such notice shall be sent by hand delivery or by post or by electronic means:

Provided that a meeting of the Board may be called at shorter notice to transact urgent business subject to the condition that at least one independent director, if any, shall be present at the meeting:

Provided further that in case of absence of independent directors from such a meeting of the Board, decisions taken at such a meeting shall be circulated to all the directors and shall be final only on ratification thereof by at least one independent director, if any.

(4) Every officer of the company whose duty is to give notice under this section and who fails to do so shall be liable to a penalty of twenty-five thousand rupees.

(5) A One Person Company, small company and dormant company shall be deemed to have complied with the provisions of this section if at least one meeting of the Board of Directors has been conducted in each half of a calendar year and the gap between the two meetings is not less than ninety days:

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section and in section 174 shall apply to One Person Company in which there is only one director on its Board of Directors.