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The Companies Act, 2013

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

Section 185- Loan to directors, etc.

[Notification/ Effective Date: 12.09.2013]

Section 185- Loan to directors, etc.  [Corresponds to Section 295, 296 of the Companies Act, 1956]; [Relevant Rule: 11,13 of The Companies (Meeting of Board and its Powers) Rules, 2014]

(1) Save as otherwise provided in this Act, no company shall, directly or indirectly, advance any loan, including any loan represented by a book debt, to any of its directors or to any other person in whom  director is interested or give any guarantee or provide any security in connection with any loan taken by him or such other person: 

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply to—

(a) the giving of any loan to a managing or whole-time director—

(i) as a part of the conditions of service extended by the company to all its employees; or

(ii) pursuant to any scheme approved by the members by a special resolution; or

(b) a company which in the ordinary course of its business provides loans or gives guarantees or securities for the due repayment of any loan and in respect of such loans an interest is charged at a rate not less than the bank rate declared by the Reserve Bank of India.

(c) any loan made by a holding company to its wholly owned subsidiary company or any guarantee given or security provided by a holding company in respect of any loan made to its wholly owned subsidiary company; or

(d) any guarantee given or security provided by a holding company in respect of loan made by any bank or financial institution to its subsidiary company

Provided that the loans made under clauses (c) and (d) are utilised by the subsidiary company for its principal business activities. (clause (c), (d) inserted by The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2015 w.e.f. 29.05.2015)

Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, the expression “to any other person in whom director is interested”  means—

(a) any director of the lending company, or of a company which is its holding company or any partner or relative of any such director;

(b) any firm in which any such director or relative is a partner;

(c) any private company of which any such director is a director or member;


In the Explanation, for clause (c) following clause is substituted, for the 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] :

(c) any private company of which any such director is a director or member in which director of the lending company do not have direct or indirect shareholding through themselves or through their relatives and a special resolution is passed to this effect.


(d) any body corporate at a general meeting of which not less than twenty-five per cent. of the total voting power may be exercised or controlled by any such director, or by two or more such directors, together; or

(e) any body corporate, the Board of directors, managing director or manager, whereof is accustomed to act in accordance with the directions or instructions of the Board, or of any director or directors, of the lending company.

(2) If any loan is advanced or a guarantee or security is given or provided in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1), the company shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than five lakh rupees but which may extend to twenty-five lakh rupees, and the director or the other person to whom any loan is advanced or guarantee or security is given or provided in connection with any loan taken by him or the other person, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to six months or with fine which shall not be less than five lakh rupees but which may extend to twenty-five lakh rupees, or with both.


Section 185 shall not apply to Government company in case such company obtains approval of the Ministry or Department of the Central Government which is administratively in charge of the company, or, as the case may be, the State Government before making any loan or giving any guarantee or providing any security under the section- Notification F No 1/2/2014-CL.V dated 05.06.2015

Section 185 shall not apply to Nidhis, provided the loan is given to a director or his relative in their capacity as members and such transaction is disclosed in the annual accounts by a note - Notification F. No. 2 /11/2014-CL.V dated 05.06.2015

Section 185 shall not apply to a private company –

(a) in whose share capital no other body corporate has invested any money;

(b) if the borrowings of such a company from banks or financial institutions or any body corporate is less than twice of its paid up share capital or fifty crore rupees, whichever is lower; and

(c) such a company has no default in repayment of such borrowings subsisting at the time of making transactions under this section.

[Notification F No 1/ 1/2014- CL.V dated 05.06.2015]