Today, let us start by understanding the time when an independent director (ID) is required to be appointed.  Most public companies appoint independent directors ahead of their IPOs, or if they have reached the INR 10 crore paid-up capital/INR 100 crore turnover/ INR 50 crore debt threshold  Companies may also need to appoint new independent …

After reading my previous emails, at this stage you are probably wondering whether you have enough experience to become an independent director. And why would anyone appoint you as such?  Both are good questions. But here are a few things to consider.  First, there is a huge scarcity of independent directors (IDs) already in India. …

To answer the question in the subject line: The biggest benefits are, of course, money, prestige, and fame. I’ll tell you more about each of these. But let us start with the earnings.  The first thing you need to understand is that being an independent director is a part-time gig. You don’t get a salary; …

Imagine that it’s November 2024. You are sitting in your first board meeting as an independent director in one of the top 100 companies listed on the BSE. The media has written about your appointment. They will write about the outcomes of today’s meetings as well. In fact, the press regularly covers you.  You are …

How can HR managers, compliance professionals and entrepreneurs become Independent Directors (IDs) on the board of a company?  What exactly does an ID do? What are the eligibility criteria to become an ID?  What is the nature of the self-assessment test that the majority of IDs now need to clear? How difficult is it to …

Business disruptions or crises have historically been followed by a rise in fraudulent practices and corporate misgovernance. And Covid-19 has been the biggest business disruptor of our times.  A recent survey by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP, in association with the Institute of Directors (IOD), has shown how Independent Directors (IDs) in the post-pandemic business …

Some 14 years ago, India’s corporate sector was put to a severe test. In 2009, we saw the unveiling of the biggest scandal in corporate India’s history with the Satyam Computer Services scam.  That scam is relevant to this discussion because it resulted in an unprecedented mass exodus of Independent Directors from the boards of …

Many mid-career or senior professionals realise that their career has plateaued. When they were young, they grew very fast, but that growth has now slowed down.  Your income, status or position grows 10-20% per year, 100-200% jumps don’t look feasible now. You earn well and are comfortable, but you are not able to jump to …

Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe that someone can want something so badly that they overcome a life-threatening illness to achieve their dream? Today, let me tell you about two fighters who have chased their dreams of joining the Indian judiciary, no matter what.  Meet Priyanka Sharma, a student of our Judiciary test …

We’d like to begin today with the story of Suman, a graduate of Geeta Institute of Law, and a final-year LLM student from Kurukshetra University. Having met with an accident many years ago, she has a chronic backache which prevents her from studying for more than two hours at a stretch.   She has no financial …