The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of THE WESTERN INDIA COTTONS LIMITED (the “Company”), recognizes that Related Party Transactions (as defined below) can present potential or actual conflicts of interest and may raise questions about whether such transactions are consistent with the Company’s and its stockholders’ best interests. Therefore, this policy regarding the review and approval of Related Party Transactions has been adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors in order to set forth the procedures under which certain transactions must be reviewed and approved or ratified.
Board has adopted the following policy and procedures with regard to Related Party Transactions as set forth below. The Audit Committee will review and may amend this policy from time to time. This policy is to regulate transactions between the Company and its Related Parties based on the applicable laws and regulations applicable on the Company.
This policy is framed as per requirement of Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement entered by the Company with the Stock Exchanges and intended to ensure the proper approval and reporting of transactions between the Company and its Related Parties. Such transactions are appropriate only if they are in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders. The Company is required to disclose each year in the Financial Statements certain transactions between the Company and Related Parties as well as policies concerning transactions with Related Parties.
“Audit Committee or Committee” means Committee of Board of Directors of the Company constituted under provisions of Listing agreement and Companies Act, 2013.
“Board” means Board of Directors of the Company.
“Control” shall have the same meaning as defined in SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011.
“Key Managerial Personnel” means key managerial personnel as under the Companies Act, 2013 and includes
(i) Managing Director, and in his absence, a whole-time director;
(ii) Company Secretary; and
(iii) Chief Financial Officer
“Material Related Party Transaction” means a transaction with a related party if the transaction / transactions to be entered into individually or taken together with previous transactions during a financial year, exceeds five percent of the annual turnover or twenty percent of the net worth of the company as per the last audited financial statements of the company, whichever is higher
“Policy” means Related Party Transaction Policy.
“Related Party” means related party as defined in Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement which is as follows:
A ‘related party’ is a person or entity that is related to the company. Parties are considered to be related if one party has the ability to control the other party or exercise significant influence over the other party, directly or indirectly, in making financial and/or operating decisions and includes the following:
1. A person or a close member of that person’s family is related to a company if that person:
(a) is a related party under Section 2(76) of the Companies Act, 2013 (See Annexure – I)
(b) has control or joint control or significant influence over the company; or
(c) is a key management personnel of the company or of a parent of the Company; or
2. An entity is related to a company if any of the following conditions applies:
a. The entity is a related party under Section 2(76) of the Companies Act, 2013; (See Annexure – I) or
b. The entity and the company are members of the same group (which means that each parent, subsidiary and fellow subsidiary is related to the others); or
c. One entity is an associate or joint venture of the other entity (or an associate or joint venture of a member of a group of which the other entity is a member); or
d. Both entities are joint ventures of the same third party; or
e. One entity is a joint venture of a third entity and the other entity is an associate of the third entity; or
f. The entity is a post-employment benefit plan for the benefit of employees of either the company or an entity related to the company. If the company is itself such a plan, the sponsoring employers are also related to the company; or
g. The entity is controlled or jointly controlled by a person identified in (1).
h. A person identified in (1)(b) has significant influence over the entity (or of a parent of the entity); or
“Related Party Transaction” means any transaction directly or indirectly involving any Related Party which is a transfer of resources, services or obligations between a company and a related party, regardless of whether a price is charged and includes:
(a) sale, purchase or supply of any goods or materials;
(b) selling or otherwise disposing of, or buying, property of any kind;
(c) leasing of property of any kind;
(d) availing or rendering of any services;
(e appointment of any agent for purchase or sale of goods, materials, services or property;
(f) such related party’s appointment to any office or place of profit in the company, its subsidiary company or associate company; and
(g) underwriting the subscription of any securities or derivatives thereof, of the company:
“Relative” means relative as defined under the Companies Act, 2013 and includes any one who is related to another, if –
i. They are members of a Hindu undivided family ;
ii. They are husband and wife ; or
iii. One person is related to the other in such manner as prescribed in Rule 4 of Companies (Specification of definitions details) Rules, 2014
(a) Father (including step-father)
(b) Mother ( including step-mother)
(c) Son ( including step-son)
(d) Son’s wife
(e) Daughter
(f) Daughter’s husband
(g) Brother ( including step-brother)
(h) Sister (including step-sister)
All Related Party Transactions must be reported to the Audit Committee and referred for approval by the Committee in accordance with this Policy.
4.1 Identification of Potential Related Party Transactions
Each director and Key Managerial Personnel is responsible for providing notice to the Board or Audit Committee of any potential Related Party Transaction involving him or her or his or her Relative, including any additional information about the transaction that the Board/Audit Committee may reasonably request. Board/Audit Committee will determine whether the transaction does, in fact, constitute a Related Party Transaction requiring compliance with this policy.
The Company strongly prefers to receive such notice of any potential Related Party Transaction well in advance so that the Audit Committee/Board has adequate time to obtain and review information about the proposed transaction.
4.2 Prohibitions related to Related Party Transactions
All Related Party Transactions shall require prior approval of Audit Committee.
Further, all Material Related Party Transactions shall require approval of the shareholders through special resolution and the Related Parties shall abstain from voting on such resolutions.
4.3 Review and Approval of Related Party Transactions
Related Party Transactions will be referred to the next regularly scheduled meeting of Audit Committee for review and approval. Any member of the Committee who has a potential interest in any Related Party Transaction will recuse himself or herself and abstain from discussion and voting on the approval of the Related Party Transaction.
To review a Related Party Transaction, the Committee will be provided with all relevant material information of the Related Party Transaction, including the terms of the transaction, the business purpose of the transaction, the benefits to the Company and to the Related Party, and any other relevant matters. In determining whether to approve a Related Party Transaction, the Committee will consider the following factors, among others, to the extent relevant to the Related Party Transaction:
* Whether the terms of the Related Party Transaction are fair and on arms length basis to the Company and would apply on the same basis if the transaction did not involve a Related Party;
* Whether there are any compelling business reasons for the Company to enter into the Related Party Transaction and the nature of alternative transactions, if any;
* Whether the Related Party Transaction would affect the independence of an independent director;
* Whether the proposed transaction includes any potential reputational risk issues that may arise as a result of or in connection with the proposed transaction;
* Whether the Company was notified about the Related Party Transaction before its commencement and if not, why pre-approval was not sought and whether subsequent ratification is allowed and would be detrimental to the Company; and
* Whether the Related Party Transaction would present an improper conflict of interest for any director or Key Managerial Personnel of the Company, taking into account the size of the transaction, the overall financial position of the director, Executive Officer or other Related Party, the direct or indirect nature of the director’s, Key Managerial Personnel’s or other Related Party’s interest in the transaction and the ongoing nature of any proposed relationship and any other factors the Board/Committee deems relevant.
If the Committee determines that a Related Party Transaction should be brought before the Board, or if the Board in any case elects to review any such matter or it is mandatory under any law for Board to approve the Related Party Transaction, then the considerations set forth above shall apply to the Board’s review and approval of the matter, with such modification as may be necessary or appropriate under the circumstances.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following Related Party Transactions shall not require approval of Audit Committee or Shareholders:
i. Any transaction that involves the providing of compensation to a director or Key Managerial Personnel in connection with his or her duties to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or associates, including the reimbursement of reasonable business and travel expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business.
ii. Any transaction in which the Related Party’s interest arises solely from ownership of securities issued by the Company and all holders of such securities receive the same benefits pro rata as the Related Party.
In the event the Company becomes aware of a Related Party Transaction with a Related Party that has not been approved under this Policy prior to its consummation, the matter shall be reviewed by the Committee. The Committee shall consider all of the relevant facts and circumstances regarding the Related Party Transaction, and shall evaluate all options available to the Company, including ratification, revision or termination of the Related Party Transaction. The Committee shall also examine the facts and circumstances pertaining to the failure of reporting such Related Party Transaction to the Committee under this Policy, and shall take any such action it deems appropriate.
In any case, where the Committee determines not to ratify a Related Party Transaction that has been commenced without approval, the Committee, as appropriate, may direct additional actions including, but not limited to, immediate discontinuation or rescission of the transaction. In connection with any review of a Related Party Transaction, the Committee has authority to modify or waive any procedural requirements of this Policy.
This Policy will be communicated to all operational employees and other concerned persons of the Company.
RELATED PARTY AS PER COMPANIES ACT, 2013
According to Section 2 (76) of the Companies Act, 2013 Related Party with reference to a Company, means
i. a director or his relative ;
ii. a key managerial personnel or his relative ;
iii. a firm, in which a director, manager or his relative is a partner ;
iv. a private company in which a director or manager is a member or director;
v. a public company in which a director or manager is a director or holds along with his relatives, more than two per cent of its paid-up share capital ;
vi. anybody corporate whose Board of directors, managing director, or manager is accustomed to act in accordance with the advice, directions or instructions of a director or manager ;
vii. any person under whose advice, directions or instructions a director or manager is accustomed to act :
Provided that nothing in sub-clauses (vi) and (vii) shall apply to the advice, directions or instructions given in a professional capacity;
viii. any company which is –
(i) a holding, subsidiary or an associate company of such company; or
(ii) a subsidiary of a holding company to which it is also a subsidiary ;
ix. Director or key managerial personnel of the holding company or his relative with reference to a company.