Buy-back is when a company repurchases its own shares from existing shareholders. Think of it as Rajesh & Co. Pvt. Ltd. saying: "We have surplus cash sitting idle — instead of paying dividend, let's buy back our own shares, boost earnings per share, and return value." Section 68 of the Companies Act 2013 lays down the complete rulebook for this.
Three sources of funds are permitted: (a) free reserves (which, per Explanation II of this section, includes the securities premium account), (b) the securities premium account, and (c) proceeds of a fresh issue of shares or securities. One hard rule: you cannot recycle — proceeds of an earlier issue of the same kind of shares cannot fund a buy-back of that same kind.
The five conditions that every buy-back must satisfy are the core of this section for your exam:
1. Articles must authorise the buy-back.
2. A special resolution at a general meeting is required — UNLESS the buy-back is ≤ 10% of total paid-up equity capital plus free reserves, in which case a Board resolution alone suffices.
3. 25% size cap: The buy-back cannot exceed 25% of (paid-up capital + free reserves). For equity shares specifically, the cap is 25% of paid-up equity capital in that financial year.
4. Debt ratio: After the buy-back, total debt (secured + unsecured) must not exceed 2 × (paid-up capital + free reserves).
5. All securities being bought back must be fully paid-up.
Key timelines — asked every exam cycle:
- Buy-back must be completed within 1 year from the resolution date.
- Bought-back shares must be extinguished and physically destroyed within 7 days of the last date of completion.
- No fresh issue of the same kind of shares for 6 months after buy-back (exceptions: bonus issue, conversion of warrants, ESOPs, sweat equity, or conversion of preference shares/debentures into equity).
- Cooling period: No new buy-back offer within 1 year from closure of the previous offer.
Before the buy-back, a declaration of solvency (signed by at least 2 directors, one being the MD) must be filed with the Registrar — and also with SEBI for listed companies. After completion, a return is filed within 30 days. Default carries a penalty of ₹1 lakh to ₹3 lakh on the company and each defaulting officer.
Example 1 — Board resolution or Special resolution?
Rajesh & Co. Pvt. Ltd. has paid-up equity capital of ₹4,00,00,000 and free reserves of ₹6,00,00,000. It proposes a buy-back of ₹1,20,00,000 worth of equity shares. Which resolution is required?
Working:
Threshold for Board resolution = 10% × (Paid-up equity capital + Free reserves)
= 10% × (₹4,00,00,000 + ₹6,00,00,000)
= 10% × ₹10,00,00,000
= ₹1,00,00,000
Proposed buy-back = ₹1,20,00,000 > ₹1,00,00,000 → Board resolution NOT sufficient.
Also verify 25% cap:
25% × ₹10,00,00,000 = ₹2,50,00,000 → ₹1,20,00,000 ✓ (within limit)
Answer: A Special Resolution is mandatory. The 25% size cap is satisfied.
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Example 2 — Debt ratio check
Ms. Iyer's company proposes a buy-back. After completion, the projected financials will be:
- Paid-up capital: ₹2,00,00,000
- Free reserves: ₹3,00,00,000
- Secured loans: ₹7,50,00,000
- Unsecured loans: ₹2,00,00,000
Is the debt ratio condition satisfied?
Working:
Permissible debt ceiling = 2 × (Paid-up capital + Free reserves)
= 2 × (₹2,00,00,000 + ₹3,00,00,000)
= 2 × ₹5,00,00,000
= ₹10,00,00,000
Actual total debt = ₹7,50,00,000 + ₹2,00,00,000 = ₹9,50,00,000
₹9,50,00,000 < ₹10,00,00,000 ✓
Answer: Debt ratio condition is satisfied. The buy-back is permissible on this count.
📖 Bare Act text — Section 68, Companies Act 2013
(click to expand)
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, but subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), a company may purchase its own shares or other specified securities (hereinafter referred to as buy-back) out of— (a) its free reserves; (b) the securities premium account; or (c) the proceeds of the issue of any shares or other specified securities: Provided that no buy-back of any kind of shares or other specified securities shall be made out of the proceeds of an earlier issue of the same kind of shares or same kind of other specified securities. (2) No company shall purchase its own shares or other specified securities under sub-section (1), unless— (a) the buy-back is authorised by its articles; (b) a special resolution has been passed at a general meeting of the company authorising the buy-back: Provided that nothing contained in this clause shall apply to a case where— (i) the buy-back is, ten per cent. or less of the total paid-up equity capital and free reserves of the company; and (ii) such buy-back has been authorised by the Board by means of a resolution passed at its meeting; (c) the buy-back is twenty-five per cent. or less of the aggregate of paid-up capital and free reserves of the company: Provided that in respect of the buy-back of equity shares in any financial year, the reference to twenty-five per cent. in this clause shall be construed with respect to its total paid-up equity capital in that financial year; (d) the ratio of the aggregate of secured and unsecured debts owed by the company after buy-back is not more than twice the paid-up capital and its free reserves: Provided that the Central Government may, by order, notify a higher ratio of the debt to capital and free reserves for a class or classes of companies; (e) all the shares or other specified securities for buy-back are fully paid-up; (f) the buy-back of the shares or other specified securities listed on any recognized stock exchange is in accordance with the regulations made by the Securities and Exchange Board in this behalf; and (g) the buy-back in respect of shares or other specified securities other than those specified in clause (f) is in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed: Provided that no offer of buy-back under this sub-section shall be made within a period of one year reckoned from the date of the closure of the preceding offer of buy-back, if any. (3) The notice of the meeting at which the special resolution is proposed to be passed under clause (b) of sub-section (2) shall be accompanied by an explanatory statement stating— (a) a full and complete disclosure of all material facts; (b) the necessity for the buy-back; (c) the class of shares or securities intended to be purchased under the buy-back; (d) the amount to be invested under the buy-back; and (e) the time-limit for completion of buy-back. (4) Every buy-back shall be completed within a period of one year from the date of passing of the special resolution, or as the case may be, the resolution passed by the Board under clause (b) of sub-section (2). (5) The buy-back under sub-section (1) may be— (a) from the existing shareholders or security holders on a proportionate basis; (b) from the open market; (c) by purchasing the securities issued to employees of the company pursuant to a scheme of stock option or sweat equity. (6) Where a company proposes to buy-back its own shares or other specified securities under this section in pursuance of a special resolution under clause (b) of sub-section (2) or a resolution under item (ii) of the proviso thereto, it shall, before making such buy-back, file with the Registrar and the Securities and Exchange Board, a declaration of solvency signed by atleast two directors of the company, one of whom shall be the managing director, if any, in such form as may be prescribed and verified by an affidavit to the effect that the Board of Directors of the company has made a full inquiry into the affairs of the company as a result of which they have formed an opinion that it is capable of meeting its liabilities and will not be rendered insolvent within a period of one year from the date of declaration adopted by the Board: Provided that no declaration of solvency shall be filed with the Securities and Exchange Board by a company whose shares are not listed on any recognised stock exchange. (7) Where a company buys back its own shares or other specified securities, it shall extinguish and physically destroy the shares or securities so bought back within seven days of the last date of completion of buy-back. (8) Where a company completes a buy-back of its shares or other specified securities under this section, it shall not make a further issue of the same kind of shares or other securities including allotment of new shares under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 62 or other specified securities within a period of six months except by way of a bonus issue or in the discharge of subsisting obligations such as conversion of warrants, stock option schemes, sweat equity or conversion of preference shares or debentures into equity shares. (9) Where a company buys back its shares or other specified securities under this section, it shall maintain a register of the shares or securities so bought, the consideration paid for the shares or securities bought back, the date of cancellation of shares or securities, the date of extinguishing and physically destroying the shares or securities and such other particulars as may be prescribed. (10) A company shall, after the completion of the buy-back under this section, file with the Registrar and the Securities and Exchange Board a return containing such particulars relating to the buy-back within thirty days of such completion, as may be prescribed: Provided that no return shall be filed with the Securities and Exchange Board by a company whose shares are not listed on any recognised stock exchange. (11) If a company makes any default in complying with the provisions of this section or any regulation made by the Securities and Exchange Board, for the purposes of clause (f) of sub-section (2), the company shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but which may extend to three lakh rupees and every officer of the company who is in default shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but which may extend to three lakh rupees. Explanation I.—For the purposes of this section and section 70, 'specified securities' includes employees' stock option or other securities as may be notified by the Central Government from time to time. Explanation II.—For the purposes of this section, 'free reserves' includes securities premium account.