Company Law

Private Placement [S. 42, R. 14]

Private placement is one of the most common modes of raising funds by way of issue of shares. It, inter alia, involves the following:

1.

Conditions precedent

  • allotments with respect to any offer or invitation made earlier have been completedor that offer or invitation has been withdrawn or abandoned by the Co. 
    [S. 42(3), R. 14(2)(b)] [Also refer # below]
  • previous approval by SH by a Spl Reso, for each of the Offers or Invitations 
    [R. 14(2)(a)]
    • Spl Reso only once in a year sufficient for all the offers or invitation for non-convertible debentures during FY
  • the basis or justification for the price (including premium, if any) disclosed explanatory statement annexed to the notice for GM
  • offer of securities or invitation to subscribe securities to persons not > 200, (excluding QIBs, and employees of the Co being offered securities under ESOS as per section 62(1)(b)), in a FY (reckoned individually for each kind of security that is equity share, preference share or debenture). [S. 42(2), R. 14(2)(b)] 
    [Also refer # below]

    #Not applicable to NBFCs/HFCs registered with RBI/NHB respectively if they are complying with regulations made by RBI/NHB in respect of offer or invitation to be issued on private placement basis

2.

Offer

  • To be made through issue of a PPOL in Form PAS-4
  • To be accompanied by an application form serially numbered and addressed specifically to the person to whom the offer is made –
    • sent to him, either in writing or in electronic mode, within 30 days of recording the names of such persons in accordance with S. 42(7). [S. 42(1), R. 14(1)(a) & (b)]
  • All offers covered u/s. 42 shall be made only to such persons whose names are recorded by the Co prior to the invitation to subscribe, and
  • such persons shall receive the offer by name, and
  • a complete record of such offers shall be kept by the Co in Form No. PAS-5 and
  • a copy of such record in PAS 5 along with PPOL in Form PAS-4 to be filed with the RoC within 30 days of circulation of relevant PPOL. [S. 42(7)]
  • 11private placement offer and application shall not carry any right of renunciation
  • Not to release any public advertisements or utilise any media, marketing or distribution channels or agents to inform the public at large about such an offer. [S. 42(8)]
  • investment size not to be <₹ 20,000 of face value of the securities [R. 14(2)(c)] 
    [Also refer # Note at Conditions Precedent above]

3.

Payment of subscription money

  • payment for subscription to securities shall be made from the bank a/c of the person subscribing to such securities [R. 14(2)(d)]
  • in case of joint holders, it shall be paid from the bank account of the person whose name appears first in the application
  • Co shall keep the record of the Bank a/c from where such payments for subscriptions have been received
  • All monies payable towards subscription of securities on private placement basis u/s. 42 shall be paid through cheque/demand draft/other banking channels but not by cash [S. 42(5)]
  • Monies received on application u/s. 42 shall be kept in a separate bank account in a scheduled bank and shall not be utilised for any purpose other than—
    • for adjustment against allotment of securities; or
    • for the repayment of monies where the Co is unable to allot securities.
  • 12Co shall not utilise monies raised through private placement unless allotment is made and the return of allotment is filed with the RoC (Form PAS-3) in accordance with S. 42(8)

4.

Post offer closure compliances

  • allot the securities within 60 days from the date of receipt of the application money for such securities [S. 42(6)]
  • File Return of allotment with the RoC within 1315 days of allotment in Form PAS-3 along with a complete list of all security holders, with their full names, addresses, number of securities allotted and such other relevant information [S. 42(9), 
    R. 14(4)]
  • Otherwise repay the application money to the subscribers within 15 days from the date of completion of 60 days
    • if the Co fails to repay the application money within the aforesaid period,
      • it shall be liable to repay that money with interest @ 12% p.a. from the expiry of the 60 days
      • The amount will be treated as ‘Deposit’ under Cos (Acceptance of Deposit) Rules
  • Issue, deliver the certificate/s of securities allotted:
    • within 2 months from the date of allotment, in case of shares [S. 56(4)(b)]
    • within 6 months from the date of allotment, in case of debentures [S. 56(4)(d)]

    Where the securities are dealt with in a depository, intimate the details of allotment of securities to depository immediately on allotment of such securities

  • Make necessary entries in the relevant registers