# Company [S. 2(20)] vs Body Corporate [S. 2(11)]
## 1. "Company" – Section 2(20)
A company means a company incorporated under this Act or under any previous company law.
General characteristics:
- Incorporated association → an artificial person.
- Separate legal entity from its members.
- Perpetual succession – members may come and go, the company continues.
- Common seal – optional under the 2013 Act.
- Any document is valid if signed by 2 directors, OR 1 director + Company Secretary (where a CS has been appointed), even without a seal.
Examples: Reliance Industries Ltd (1973), Tata Steel (1907), Infosys (1981).
## 2. "Body Corporate" – Section 2(11)
A body corporate or corporation is a wider term. It includes a company incorporated outside India, but does NOT include:
1. A co-operative society registered under any law relating to co-operative societies; and
2. Any other body corporate (not being a company as defined in this Act) notified by the Central Government.
## 3. Visualising the relationship
```
BODY CORPORATE (wider)
+----------------------------+
| COMPANIES under CA 2013 |
| Foreign companies |
| Statutory corporations |
| - Excludes: Co-op societies|
| - Excludes: CG-notified BCs|
+----------------------------+
```
Every company is a body corporate, but not every body corporate is a company.
## 4. Common-seal optionality – why it matters
Post-amendment, the common seal is no longer mandatory. The dual-signature rule (2 directors OR 1 director + CS) protects companies that have done away with the seal — execution authority is now person-based rather than seal-based.
## 5. Quick comparison
| Feature | Company [2(20)] | Body Corporate [2(11)] |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Narrow – under CA 2013 / earlier law | Wider – includes foreign cos & statutory corps |
| Co-operative society | Not a company | Specifically excluded |
| Foreign company | Not a 'company' under 2(20) | Specifically included |
| CG-notified exclusions | None | Possible |