Companies (Registration of Foreign Companies) Amendment Rules, 2021

MCA notifies Companies (Registration of Foreign Companies) Amendment Rules, 2021 vide Notification No. G.S.R. 538(E) dated 5th August, 2021.

In Rule 2(1)(c) of the Companies (Registration of Foreign Companies) Rules, 2014, the following explanation is inserted:

“Explanation– For the purposes of this clause, electronic based offering of securities, subscription thereof or listing of securities in the International Financial Services Centres set up under section 18 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 (28 of 2005) shall not be construed as ‘electronic mode’ for the purpose of clause (42) of section 2 of the Act.”

The purpose of this amendment is to exclude from the definition of foreign company u/s 2(42) of the Act, the electronic presence of a foreign company by the means of- electronic based offering of securities, subscription thereof or listing of securities in the IFSC.

MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 5th August, 2021

G.S.R. 538(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (c) and clause (h) of sub-section (1) and sub-section (3) of section 380, clause (a) of sub-section (1) and sub-section (3) of section 381, section 385, clause (a) of section 386, section 389 and section 390, read with section 469 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013), Central Government hereby makes the following rules to amend the Companies (Registration of Foreign Companies) Rules, 2014 namely :-

1. Short title and commencement- (1) These rules may be called the Companies (Registration of Foreign Companies) Amendment Rules, 2021.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

2. In the Companies (Registration of Foreign Companies) Rules, 2014, in clause (c) of sub-rule (1) of rule 2, the following explanation shall be inserted, namely:-

“Explanation.- For the purposes of this clause, electronic based offering of securities, subscription thereof or listing of securities in the International Financial Services Centres set up under section 18 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 (28 of 2005) shall not be construed as ‘electronic mode’ for the purpose of clause (42) of section 2 of the Act.”.

[F. No. 1/23/2013-CL-V]

K. V. R. MURTY, Jt. Secy.

Note : The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i) vide number G.S.R. 266(E), dated the 31^st March, 2014.