The Companies Act, 2013

Section 90 Register of significant beneficial owners

Chapter: VII · Management and Administration
Amendments: 7
Last changed: 5 March 2021

90. Register of significant beneficial owners in a company.—

(1) Every individual, who acting alone or together, or through one or more persons or trust, including a trust and persons resident outside India, holds beneficial interests, of not less than twenty-five per cent. or such other percentage as may be prescribed, in shares of a company or the right to exercise, or the actual exercising of significant influence or control as defined in clause (27) of section 2, over the company (herein referred to as “significant beneficial owner”), shall make a declaration to the company, specifying the nature of his interest and other particulars, in such manner and within such period of acquisition of the beneficial interest or rights and any change thereof, as may be prescribed:

Provided that the Central Government may prescribe a class or classes of persons who shall not be required to make declaration under this sub-section.

(2) Every company shall maintain a register of the interest declared by individuals under sub-

section (1) and changes therein which shall include the name of individual, his date of birth, address, details

of ownership in the company and such other details as may be prescribed.

(3) The register maintained under sub-section (2) shall be open to inspection by any member of the company on payment of such fees as may be prescribed.

(4) Every company shall file a return of significant beneficial owners of the company and changes therein with the Registrar containing names, addresses and other details as may be prescribed within such time, in such form and manner as may be prescribed.

(4A) Every company shall take necessary steps to identify an individual who is a significant beneficial owner in relation to the company and require him to comply with the provisions of this section.

(5) A company shall give notice, in the prescribed manner, to any person (whether or not a member of the company) whom the company knows or has reasonable cause to believe—

(a) to be a significant beneficial owner of the company;

(b) to be having knowledge of the identity of a significant beneficial owner or another person likely to have such knowledge; or

(c) to have been a significant beneficial owner of the company at any time during the three years immediately preceding the date on which the notice is issued,

and who is not registered as a significant beneficial owner with the company as required under this section.

(6) The information required by the notice under sub-section (5) shall be given by the concerned person within a period not exceeding thirty days of the date of the notice.

(7) The company shall,—

(a) where that person fails to give the company the information required by the notice within the time specified therein; or

(b) where the information given is not satisfactory,

apply to the Tribunal within a period of fifteen days of the expiry of the period specified in the notice, for an order directing that the shares in question be subject to restrictions with regard to transfer of interest, suspension of all rights attached to the shares and such other matters as may be prescribed.

(8) On any application made under sub-section (7), the Tribunal may, after giving an opportunity of being heard to the parties concerned, make such order restricting the rights attached with the shares within a period of sixty days of receipt of application or such other period as may be prescribed.

(9) The company or the person aggrieved by the order of the Tribunal may make an application to the Tribunal for relaxation or lifting of the restrictions placed under sub-section (8), within a period of one year from the date of such order:

Provided that if no such application has been filed within a period of one year from the date of the order under sub-section (8), such shares shall be transferred, without any restrictions, to the authority constituted under sub-section (5) of section 125, in such manner as may be prescribed;

(9A) The Central Government may make rules for the purposes of this section.

(10) If any person fails to make a declaration as required under sub-section (1), he shall be liable to a penalty of fifty thousand rupees and in case of continuing failure, with a further penalty of one thousand rupees for each day after the first during which such failure continues, subject to a maximum of two lakh rupees.

(11) If a company, required to maintain register under sub-section (2) and file the information under sub-section (4) or required to take necessary steps under sub-section (4A), fails to do so or denies

inspection as provided therein, the company shall be liable to a penalty of one lakh rupees and in case of

continuing failure, with a further penalty of five hundred rupees for each day, after the first during which

such failure continues, subject to a maximum of five lakh rupees and every officer of the company who is

in default shall be liable to a penalty of twenty-five thousand rupees and in case of continuing failure, with

a further penalty of two hundred rupees for each day, after the first during which such failure continues,

subject to a maximum of one lakh rupees.

(12) If any person wilfully furnishes any false or incorrect information or suppresses any material information of which he is aware in the declaration made under this section, he shall be liable to action

under section 447.

[90. Register of significant beneficial owners in a company.—(1) Every individual, who acting
alone or together, or through one or more persons or trust, including a trust and persons resident outside
India, holds beneficial interests, of not less than twenty-five per cent. or such other percentage as may be
prescribed, in shares of a company or the right to exercise, or the actual exercising of significant influence
or control as defined in clause (27) of section 2, over the company (herein referred to as “significant
beneficial owner”), shall make a declaration to the company, specifying the nature of his interest and other
particulars, in such manner and within such period of acquisition of the beneficial interest or rights and any
change thereof, as may be prescribed:

Provided that the Central Government may prescribe a class or classes of persons who shall not be
required to make declaration under this sub-section.

(2) Every company shall maintain a register of the interest declared by individuals under  sub-

section (1) and changes therein which shall include the name of individual, his date of birth, address, details

of ownership in the company and such other details as may be prescribed.

(3) The register maintained under sub-section (2) shall be open to inspection by any member of the
company on payment of such fees as may be prescribed.

(4) Every company shall file a return of significant beneficial owners of the company and changes
therein with the Registrar containing names, addresses and other details as may be prescribed within such
time, in such form and manner as may be prescribed.

[(4A) Every company shall take necessary steps to identify an individual who is a significant beneficial
owner in relation to the company and require him to comply with the provisions of this section.]

(5) A company shall give notice, in the prescribed manner, to any person (whether or not a member of
the company) whom the company knows or has reasonable cause to believe—

(a) to be a significant beneficial owner of the company;

(b) to be having knowledge of the identity of a significant beneficial owner or another person likely
to have such knowledge; or

(c) to have been a significant beneficial owner of the company at any time during the three years
immediately preceding the date on which the notice is issued,

and who is not registered as a significant beneficial owner with the company as required under this section.

(6) The information required by the notice under sub-section (5) shall be given by the concerned person
within a period not exceeding thirty days of the date of the notice.

(7) The company shall,—

(a) where that person fails to give the company the information required by the notice within the time
specified therein; or

(b) where the information given is not satisfactory,

apply to the Tribunal within a period of fifteen days of the expiry of the period specified in the notice, for
an order directing that the shares in question be subject to restrictions with regard to transfer of interest,
suspension of all rights attached to the shares and such other matters as may be prescribed.

(8) On any application made under sub-section (7), the Tribunal may, after giving an opportunity of
being heard to the parties concerned, make such order restricting the rights attached with the shares within
a period of sixty days of receipt of application or such other period as may be prescribed.

[(9) The company or the person aggrieved by the order of the Tribunal may make an application to the
Tribunal for relaxation or lifting of the restrictions placed under sub-section (8), within a period of one year
from the date of such order:

Provided that if no such application has been filed within a period of one year from the date of the
order under sub-section (8), such shares shall be transferred, without any restrictions, to the authority
constituted under sub-section (5) of section 125, in such manner as may be prescribed;]

[(9A) The Central Government may make rules for the purposes of this section.]

[(10) If any person fails to make a declaration as required under sub-section (1), he shall be liable to a
penalty of fifty thousand rupees and in case of continuing failure, with a further penalty of one thousand
rupees for each day after the first during which such failure continues, subject to a maximum of two lakh
rupees.]

[(11) If a company, required to maintain register under sub-section (2) and file the information under
sub-section (4) [or required to take necessary steps under sub-section (4A)], fails to do so or denies

inspection as provided therein, the company shall be liable to a penalty of one lakh rupees and in case of

continuing failure, with a further penalty of five hundred rupees for each day, after the first during which

such failure continues, subject to a maximum of five lakh rupees and every officer of the company who is

in default shall be liable to a penalty of twenty-five thousand rupees and in case of continuing failure, with

a further penalty of two hundred rupees for each day, after the first during which such failure continues,

subject to a maximum of one lakh rupees.]

(12) If any person wilfully furnishes any false or incorrect information or suppresses any material
information of which he is aware in the declaration made under this section, he shall be liable to action

under section 447.]

Section 90 Register of significant beneficial owners

Amendments to this section

What is prescribed under this section