To,
The Members,
Religare Enterprises Limited
Your Directors have pleasure in presenting this 40th Annual
Report on the business and operations of the Company together with Audited Financial
Statements for the financial year ended March 31, 2024.
STATE OF AFFAIRS OF THE COMPANY
The past year has demonstrated the substantial progress achieved by the
Company, a testament to the concerted efforts of the Board and management over the past
5-6 years. These efforts have led the Company to a position of stability, emerging from
the past irregularities and legacy issues left behind by the erstwhile promoters and
management, who exited in 2018.
Religare Finvest Limited (RFL), REL's wholly-owned subsidiary which
bore the brunt of legacy issues has now settled all its obligations with both its secured
and unsecured lenders, and has become debt free. Additionally, steps have been taken to
request RBI to lift the Corrective Action Plan (CAP) imposed by RBI on RFL in 2018 so that
the company can recommence its business operations. Meanwhile, the Company's other three
business segments - health insurance, broking and housing finance have continued to be
consistently profitable and are growing. Furthermore, the Company completed the
acquisition of a Mumbai based insurance web aggregator during the year, aligning with its
strategic goal of expanding its financial service footprint and enhancing its capabilities
to provide comprehensive 360? financial services.
While the Board and management were charting a course towards new
horizons for the Company, the Burman group, the largest single shareholder, initiated an
open offer to the public shareholders in
September 2023. The Board welcomed this open offer, viewing it as a
positive reflection of the Company's robust business foundation. They believed the offer
could serve as a catalyst for further strengthening the Company's position and achieving
greater industry heights under the Acquirers' leadership and control.
In accordance with the prescribed process for the open offer, the Board
constituted a Committee of Independent Directors (COID). However, the COID discovered
certain facts, complaints, FIRs and potential links to the former promoters raising
concern about the Acquirers' Fit and Proper status for this open offer. The COID promptly
reported these issues to various sectoral regulators, requesting for an investigation.
For brevity, details of the subsequent developments are outlined in the
Major Development section of this report. The Company and its subsidiaries submitted the
necessary applications for prior approval for change in control, management and
shareholding to the relevant regulators in July 2024, and these developments are being
closely monitored.
The Board and management, mindful of the interests of the Company's
various stakeholders, remain committed to acting in the best interest of the Company and
its stakeholders. They will adhere to all relevant regulatory guidance and procedural
requirements. With ongoing co-operation and support from various stakeholders, we will
continue to build trust and create long-term value and will strive to achieve new
milestones in the future.
FINANCIAL RESULTS AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
The highlights of standalone and consolidated financial performance of
the Company for the financial years 2023-24 and 2022-23 are as under:
(' in Lakhs) |
|
|
|
|
Particulars |
For the financial year
2023-2024 |
For the financial year
2022-2023 |
|
Standalone
(Audited) |
Consolidated
(Audited) |
Standalone
(Audited) |
Consolidated
(Audited) |
Total Income* |
2,524.24 |
6,29,925.87 |
5,654.17 |
4,86,322.98 |
Total Expenditure |
9,711.79 |
6,08,191.83 |
7,164.00 |
4,89,400.76 |
Profit / (Loss) Before Tax |
(7,187.55) |
21,734.04 |
(1,509.83) |
(3,077.78) |
Exceptional Items |
- |
23,034.62 |
- |
3,28,941.07 |
Profit / (Loss) Before Tax After Exceptional
Items |
(7,187.55) |
44,768.66 |
(1,509.83) |
3,25,863.29 |
Share in Profit / (Loss) of Joint Ventures |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Profit / (Loss) Before Tax |
(7,187.55) |
44,768.66 |
(1,509.83) |
3,25,863.29 |
Income Tax Expense/ (Credit) |
(652.18) |
10,027.49 |
(2.96) |
9,001.56 |
Profit / (Loss) After Tax |
(6,535.37) |
34,741.17 |
(1,506.87) |
3,16,861.73 |
Particulars |
For the financial year
2023-2024 |
For the financial year
2022-2023 |
|
Standalone
(Audited) |
Consolidated
(Audited) |
Standalone
(Audited) |
Consolidated
(Audited) |
Other Comprehensive Income |
(46.93) |
5,442.05 |
(0.49) |
(7,649.86) |
Total Comprehensive Income for the Year |
(6,582.30) |
40,183.22 |
(1,507.36) |
3,09,211.87 |
Less: Share of Non- Controlling Interest |
- |
13,514.54 |
- |
6,003.74 |
Total Comprehensive Income (after tax and
non-controlling interest) |
(6,582.30) |
26,668.68 |
(1,507.36) |
3,03,208.13 |
* Consolidated Income is excluding the Exceptional Item, reported
separately.
(i) Consolidated Performance
We recorded a Profit/ (Loss) Before Tax (after exceptional item) of '
44,768.66 Lakhs for FY 24 as compared to Profit / (Loss) Before Tax (after exceptional
item) of ' 3,25,863.29 Lakhs, for FY23. Profit/(Loss) After Tax was ' 34,741.17 Lakhs for
FY24 as compared to Profit/(Loss) After Tax of ' 3,16,861.73 Lakhs for FY23. Total
Comprehensive Income / (Loss) attributable to the Owner of the Company for FY24 is '
26,668.68 Lakhs as compared to ' 3,03,208.13 Lakhs in FY23. Basic earnings per share
decreased to ' 7.13 in FY24 from ' 96.06 in FY23.
(ii) Standalone Performance
We recorded a Profit/ (Loss) Before Tax of ' (7,187.55) Lakhs for FY24
as compared to a Profit/ (Loss) Before Tax of ' (1,509.83) Lakhs for FY23. Profit/ (Loss)
After Tax was ' (6,535.37) Lakhs for FY24 as compared to Profit/ (Loss) After Tax of '
(1,506.87) Lakhs for FY23. Total Comprehensive Income / (Loss) for FY24 is ' (6,582.30)
Lakhs as compared to ' (1,507.36) Lakhs in FY23. Basic earnings per share decreased to '
(1.98) in FY24 from ' (0.47) in FY23.
(iii) Operating Performance of Businesses
Our Health Insurance business, Care Health Insurance Limited
("CHIL"), in which REL holds a 62.98% equity stake as on March 31, 2024,
registered a Gross Written Premium of ' 7,02,193 Lakhs a growth of 34% over the previous
financial year; which reported a Gross Written Premium of ' 5,23,769 Lakhs. As of March
31,2024, CHIL has established a Pan-India distribution network of 262 branches. It
services over 1,465+ locations across the Country and providing health services through a
network of 24,820+ hospitals and healthcare centres. It offers 42 products to cater to
varied customer needs. CHIL has a differentiated service offering for corporate
businesses, like wellness programs & preventive health check-up, thereby helping in
negotiating better premiums and for improved customer stickiness. It follows a
multi-channel distribution strategy through individual agents, corporate agents, brokers,
bancassurance and online; and its major focus is on retail and SME customers.
In our Broking business, the average daily turnover (ADTO) of Religare
Broking Limited ("RBL") a wholly-owned subsidiary, has increased by 72% to
'16,07,034.60 Lakhs in FY24 and has been showing an increasing trend year-on-year. RBL
cash volumes, supported by market growth surged nearly 31% leading to an increase in core
income, i.e., brokerage income (up from ' 16,188.81 Lakhs in FY23 to ' 20,217.56 Lakhs in
FY24). The management is undertaking several initiatives to generate scale-based growth
and regain the lost market share in the retail brokerage space and other allied services.
Also, RBL reported substantial growth in e-governance franchisees. In FY24, the total
number of franchisees for e-governance business increased from 26,929 in FY23 to 43,823
(up 63% YoY). RBL shifted its strategy for client acquisition via increased focus on
quality rather than quantity. RBL acquired 45 thousand new customers during FY24 against
58 thousand in FY23. The consolidated total revenue of RBL and its subsidiary Religare
Commodities Limited went up from ' 29,168.53 Lakhs to ' 36,974.62 Lakhs in FY24. The
consolidated profitability reported after tax and other comprehensive income is ' 3,886.98
Lakhs in FY24 (FY23 ' 1,479.40 Lakhs).
In the Lending business, our wholly-owned subsidiary Religare Finvest
Limited ("RFL") which is an NBFC in the Middle Layer, registered with RBI as a
non-deposit taking, systemically important Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC-ND-SI).
RFL's business is focused on providing loans to Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to
enable them to enhance their productive capacity and throughput. It is amongst the first
NBFCs in India to focus on this segment, having started the business in 2008. During 2016,
RFL had grown to build a peak business book of over ' 16,000 Crore to become one of the
largest SME financing platforms in India. Currently, RFL has an employee base of over 178
professionals and 11 branches pan India. As on March 31, 2024, SME-Finance constituted
over 35% of RFL's lending business. RFL's SME loan book has decreased from ' 1,11,204
Lakhs as on March 31, 2023 to ' 52,600 Lakhs on March 31, 2024 due to the CAP imposed by
RBI and no fresh business being sourced.
RFL's subsidiary, Religare Housing Development Finance Corporation
Limited ("RHDFCL") focuses on providing affordable housing finance to low-income
segment customers, particularly those engaged in informal sectors, in urban and semi-urban
areas of the Country. The total book stands at ' 21,414 Lakhs as on March 31, 2024 in
accordance with Ind-AS while the total income and PAT after OCI for the financial year
were respectively ' 4,333 Lakhs and ' 20.0 Lakhs. The average ticket size for the home
loans has been around ' 10.68 Lakhs. RHDFCL has a pan India presence with a network of 26
branches. RHDFCL has maintained profitability since becoming a part of the Religare group
in 2009. To position itself as a future-ready company, RHDFCL aims to maximize
digitization in its processes and is working towards enabling an efficient workforce.
MIC Insurance Web Aggregator Private Limited ("MIC"), a
wholly-owned subsidiary of REL, acquired in December 2023 is an IRDAI approved insurance
web aggregator founded in 2009. MIC facilitates comparison of insurance products for Car,
Two-Wheeler, Health, and Life (Term & Investment Plans) and their purchase online. It
is considered as one of India's Top 5 insurance web aggregators by monthly unique
visitors, operational for the past 15 years. It has a database of 2 million insurance
customers. The Company is evaluating various opportunities to grow this business.
CHANGE IN NATURE OF BUSINESS
During the year under review, there was no change in the nature of
business of the Company.
MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS REPORT
Management's Discussion and Analysis Report for the year under review
detailing economic scenario and outlook, as stipulated under Schedule V of the SEBI
(Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 ("SEBI LODR
Regulations") is presented in a separate section and forms an integral part of this
Report.
DIVIDEND AND RESERVES
The Company has not declared dividend for conserving reserves for
growth purposes.
However, the members may please note that the Reserve Bank of India
("RBI") vide its letter dated April 05, 2019 has advised the Company to stop
paying dividends till further orders from RBI and has continued that restriction vide its
letter dated December 19, 2019.
The Company has in place a board-approved a Dividend Distribution
Policy ("the Policy") pursuant to the requirement under the SEBI (Listing
Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. A copy of the same has been
uploaded on the website of the Company and can be accessed through the link i.e. Religare_
Dividend_Distribution_Policy_2024.pdf
SUBSIDIARIES & JOINT VENTURES
As at March 31, 2024, your Company has 23 direct and indirect
subsidiaries. During the year under review, the businesses of the Company and its
subsidiaries and changes, if any, have been explained elsewhere in this report and
Management's Discussion and Analysis Report.
Following changes took place in the subsidiaries of the Company during
the year under review:
S. No. Name of the Company / Subsidiary |
Remarks |
1 Religare Comtrade Limited |
Ceased to be subsidiaries (due to merger
with the Company w.e.f. June 28, 2023 pursuant to the Composite Scheme of Arrangement
approved by Hon'ble NCLT, Delhi vide Order dated June 15, 2023 |
2 Religare Insurance Limited |
|
3 Religare Advisors Limited |
|
4 Religare Business Solutions Limited |
|
5 Religare Global Asset Management, Inc.
(RGAM Inc.) |
Stands dissolved w.e.f. October 09, 2023
as per the report of the search conducted and received by the Company on December 27, 2023 |
6 MIC Insurance Web Became wholly owned
Aggregator Private Limited subsidiary pursuant to completion of acquisition of 100 %
equity stake on December 8, 2023 |
|
As at March 31, 2024, your Company has a joint venture viz. IBOF
Investment Management Private Limited in which the Company holds 50% share capital.
In terms of Section 129(3) of the Companies Act, 2013
("Act"), your Company has prepared a statement containing the salient features
of the Financial Statements of our subsidiaries & joint venture in the prescribed
format AOC-1 which is attached to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company.
The said statement contains a report on the performance and financial position of each of
the subsidiaries and hence is not repeated here for the sake of brevity. Further, the
details of major subsidiaries of the Company and their business operations during the year
under review are covered in the Management's Discussion and Analysis Report.
MAJOR EVENTS / UPDATES
1. Open Offer to the shareholders of the Company
The Company has received the Public Announcement dated September 25,
2023 about the Open Offer to the Public Shareholders of the Company on behalf of M.B.
Finmart Private Limited ("Acquirer 1"), Puran Associates
Private Limited ("Acquirer 2"), VIC Enterprises Private Limited ("Acquirer
3"), and Milky Investment & Trading Company ("Acquirer 4") (hereinafter
the "Acquirers"), for the acquisition of upto 9,00,42,541 fully paid-up equity
shares of face value of ' 10/- each from the public shareholders of the Company
representing 26.00% of the Expanded Voting Share Capital of the Company. The Open Offer
has been made pursuant to and in compliance with Regulations 3(1) and 4 of the Securities
and Exchange Board of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations,
2011 and subsequent amendments thereto ("SAST Regulations"), subject to
necessary statutory and regulatory approvals. The Detailed Public Statement dated October
03, 2023 has been published by the Acquirers on October 04, 2023, and the Draft Letter of
Offer has been submitted by the Acquirers with SEBI on October 11, 2023.
The Board of Directors of the Company in its meeting held on October
09, 2023 constituted a Committee of Independent Directors ("Committee" /
"COD") as required under Regulation 26(6) of SAST Regulations. The Committee is
mandated to provide its written reasoned recommendations on the open offer to the
shareholders of the target company publishing the same as per Regulation 26(7) of the SAST
Regulations at an appropriate time.
2. Regulatory / Statutory approvals for change of
shareholding / control / management
The Acquirers have received the approval of the Competition Commission
of India ("CCI") as mentioned in the Press Release dated January 23, 2024
followed by detailed order of the same date uploaded on the CCI website on March 15, 2024.
The Order specifies that the "order is without prejudice to any proceeding that may
be initiated against the Acquirers under Sections 43A (penalty for 'gun-jumping'), 44
(penalty for making false statement or omitting to furnish material information) and/or 45
(penalty for offences in relation to furnishing of information) of the Act". CCI has
also stated that "This order may be revoked if, at any time, the information provided
by the notifying parties is found to be incorrect." The Company has filed an appeal
against the Order before Hon'ble National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) and the
same is pending adjudication.
Thereafter, in terms of the directions in the Interim Order cum Show
Cause Notice dated June 19, 2024 ("Order cum SCN") issued by SEBI to the Company
and its directors and the Order dated July 10, 2024 issued by Securities Appellate
Tribunal ("SAT") in an appeal filed by the Company against the Interim Order,
the Company and the subsidiaries have submitted the applications on July 22, 2024 to the
concerned Regulatory Authorities including RBI for the proposed change of shareholding /
control / management of the Company and subsidiaries, as the case may be, pursuant to the
open offer.
I RDAI, in respect of application made by CHIL, advised that "the
open offer does not involve any transfer of shares of CHIL. Accordingly, the provisions
regarding register of transfer of shares of insurer under Section 6A(4)(b) of the
Insurance Act, 1938 are not attracted. In this case, as such, the submission of the
application for transfer of shares is not required. However, we have taken note of your
submission and have no objection for the proposed open offer pertaining to the shares of
REL subject to the insurer, promoter(s), transferor and transferees obtaining all the
necessary approvals from other statutory/regulatory/ judicial bodies as may be
required."
I n respect of application of MIC, IRDAI has informed that the open
offer made to the public shareholders of REL, being the promoter of MIC Web Aggregator
Pvt. Ltd. holding 100% shares of MIC, does not involve any transfer of shares of MIC; and
accordingly, the provisions regarding register of transfer of shares of web aggregator
under section 8(d) of IRDAI (Insurance Web Aggregator) Regulations, 2017 are not
attracted.
The applications filed by the Company and its subsidiaries with RBI and
SEBI are under process and pending.
3. Revival of Religare Finvest Limited
("RFL")
RFL has been under the corrective action plan ("CAP") by the
Reserve Bank of India ("RBI") since January 18, 2018 due to past financial
irregularities committed by the erstwhile promoters and the previous management. The CAP,
interalia, prohibits RFL from expansion of credit/investment portfolio, other than by way
of investment in Government Securities, and advices RFL not to pay dividends. The
management of the Company along with the management of RFL has taken various measures for
revival of RFL since then.
Settlement with the secured and unsecured lenders - RFL proposed One
Time Settlement (OTS) to the lenders for which the Settlement Agreement (OTS Agreement)
was signed in December 2022 by RFL along with the Company with sixteen secured lenders
including their unsecured exposure for full & final settlement w.r.t. all their
outstanding dues including dues towards their unsecured exposure. Pursuant to the OTS
Agreement and upon completion of the entire OTS payment of ' 2,17,800 Lakh in March 2023
to all Sixteen OTS lenders against their total outstanding dues including unsecured
exposure, the No- Dues Certificates (NDC) were received by RFL from all sixteen secured
OTS lenders by May 2023 and accordingly the OTS of RFL with sixteen secured OTS lenders
was completed.
Thereafter, RFL also proposed and completed the settlement of
outstanding unsecured rated subordinated non-convertible debenture (NCD) and received No
Dues Certificates from said NCD holders. With the settlement and payment of unsecured loan
of ICICI Bank and receipt of NDC in March 2024, RFL became external-debt free. With the
repayment of amount extended by REL on February 26, 2024, RFL became completely debt free.
Improvement in ALM position and CRAR - With the settlement of dues and
payments, RFL has come out of its cumulative asset liability mismatch related problems.
Further, the CRAR as at March 31, 2024 stood at 114.86% (positive) [Previous Year 48.94%
(positive)] which improved mainly due to OTS related write back of Loan liabilities by
RFL.
Support by REL - The Company has fully supported RFL in its revival
measures by providing timely financial assistance i.e. deposit of ' 22,000 Lakhs in a no
lien account with the lead lender on behalf of RFL in June 2022 and by directly making the
payment of ' 9,539.46 Lakhs to the NCD holders of RFL in June 2023, July 2023 and
September 2023 which were treated as an intercorporate loan given to RFL. Since then RFL
has repaid the entire intercorporate loan to REL with interest.
Steps for Fraud Tag removal - In order to remove the fraud tag, RFL
filed a Writ Petition before the Hon'ble Delhi High Court against State Bank of India
(SBI). The Hon'ble High Court, vide its final Order dated December 18, 2023, disposed-off
the Writ Petition by setting aside the action of SBI in declaring RFL's account as fraud.
The Hon'ble Court also granted liberty to SBI to take necessary steps to correct the
record and to take appropriate action in accordance with law, if so necessitated. Based on
the Order of the Hon'ble Court, SBI on January 25, 2024 confirmed that the record of Fraud
reported by SBI in Religare Finvest Ltd has been removed from the database of Central
Fraud Registry. Subsequently, other banks namely Bank of Maharashtra (BOM), Union Bank of
India (UBI) and Central Bank of India approved removal of fraud flagging of RFL from its
record / Central Fraud Registry.
Seeking similar relief of removal of fraud tag, RFL filed a writ
petition before Hon'ble Delhi High Court on May 02, 2024 against 14 lenders banks
including Axis Bank and excluding ICICI Bank, SBI, UBI & BOM. The matter is
sub-judice.
Withdrawal of Wilful Defaulter proceedings by lenders-
RFL has obtained confirmation from Canara Bank, Bank of Maharashtra,
Federal Bank and Union Bank of India that they have withdrawn the Wilful Defaulter
proceedings against it. As on date no wilful defaulter proceedings are pending against
RFL.
Application for CAP removal to RBI - In the light of the developments,
RFL applied to RBI for removal of CAP on July 12, 2023. Approval for CAP removal is still
awaited
4. Completion of Acquisition of MIC Insurance Web Aggregator Private
Limited, an IRDAI approved Insurance Web Aggregator
Towards its vision to become a 360-degree financial services
conglomerate, your Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreement on April 05, 2023 with
IGEAR Holdings Private Limited (IHPL), The Indian Express Private Limited (TIEPL) and MIC
Insurance Web Aggregator Private Limited (MIC) for acquisition of 100% stake in MIC, a
Mumbai based IRDAI registered insurance web aggregator. Post receipt of the IRDAI approval
in September 2023, the acquisition was completed by the Company on December 08, 2023.
Pursuant to the acquisition, MIC became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company w.e.f.
December 08, 2023.
5. Share Purchase Agreement for acquisition of Religare Housing
Development Finance Corporation Limited
Pursuant to the approval of Board of Directors, the Company has entered
into a Share Purchase Agreement on April 05, 2023 with Religare Finvest Limited (RFL) (a
wholly owned subsidiary of REL) and Religare Housing Development Finance Corporation
Limited (RHDFCL) (subsidiary company of RFL) for acquisition of entire equity 87.5% stake
of RHDFCL held by RFL subject to necessary statutory and regulatory approvals and
fulfillment of other conditions precedent. The application made by RHDFCL to Reserve Bank
of India ("RBI") for prior approval was returned by RBI in December 2023 with an
advice to submit a fresh application.
6. Composite Scheme of Arrangement
i. The Board of Directors of the Company, on December 18, 2019,
approved, subject to requisite approvals, the draft Scheme of Amalgamation
("Scheme") to simplify the Group corporate structure. The Scheme was filed with
the Hon'ble National Company Law Tribunal ("NCLT") on October 31, 2020. The
Hon'ble NCLT vide order dated June 15, 2023 approved the Scheme.
The Scheme was filed with the Registrar of the Companies, NCT of Delhi
& Haryana ("ROC") on June 28, 2023. Consequently, four (4) wholly owned
subsidiaries, direct and indirect, of Religare Enterprises Limited namely Religare
Comtrade Limited, Religare Insurance Limited, Religare Advisors Limited and Religare
Business Solutions Limited have been merged with/into the Company w.e.f. June 28, 2023.
The Appointed Date of the Scheme was April 01,2019.
ii. Religare Broking Limited ("RBL" or "the Transferor
Company") and Religare Digital Solutions Limited ("RDSL" or "the
Transferee Company") approved a Scheme of
Arrangement ("the Scheme") under section 230-232 of the
Companies Act, 2013, in their respective Board meetings held on May 18, 2022, and May 25,
2022. RBL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and RDSL is a wholly owned
subsidiary of RBL.
The Scheme inter alia provides for transfer of E-Governance Undertaking
of the Transferor Company to the Transferee Company on a "slump sale" basis, as
a going concern in accordance with provisions of the Scheme.
The Scheme was filed with the Hon'ble National Company Law Tribunal
(NCLT), New Delhi, on September 21, 2022, and is subject to obtaining necessary regulatory
approvals. The appointed date for the Scheme is April 01,2022, and the accounting effect
will be given post-effectiveness, after NCLT approval.
The First Motion Application for the Scheme was admitted by the NCLT on
November 30, 2023, and the Second Motion Application was filed in December 2023, admitted
on January 05, 2024. The matter is now listed for final hearing.
7. Dissolution of Religare Global Asset Management, Inc. (RGAM Inc.)
During the FY 2023-24, Religare Global Asset Management, Inc. (RGAM
Inc.), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company in Delaware, USA stands dissolved w.e.f
October 09, 2023 as per the report of the search conducted and received by the Company on
December 27, 2023. Accordingly, RGAM Inc. ceases to be a subsidiary of the Company.
REGULATORY UPDATES Reserve Bank of India
("RBI")
Inspection FY 2022-23
RBI conducted a select scope inspection of the Company under section
45N of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 during the month of August 2023 with respect to
the financial position as on March 31, 2023. The Supervisory Letter along with Inspection
report, Risk Assessment Report and Risk Mitigation Plan pursuant to same were issued by
the RBI in October 2023 for which replies indicating comments / compliance were furnished
within the specified timelines.
Inspection FY 2023-24
RBI conducted a supervisory risk assessment of the Company under
section 45N of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 with respect to the financial position
as on March 31,2024. The Supervisory Letter from RBI indicating supervisory rating along
with major supervisory concerns was received by the company in September 2024 for which
replies indicating comments / compliance were furnished within the timeline specified.
Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI") Interim Order
cum Show cause notice
The Company received an Interim Order cum Show Cause Notice (REF.
WTM/ASB/CFD/CFD-RAC-DCR-1/30516/2024-25 dated June 19, 2024) from SEBI on June 20, 2024
("Order cum SCN"). The ex-parte Order cum SCN was issued to the Noticees i.e.
the Company and each of its Directors. Para 33 of the Order cum SCN inter alia contains
directions, in exercise of the powers conferred under Sections 11(1), 11(4) and 11B(1)
read with Section 19 of the SEBI Act, 1992, to furnish within seven days of the date of
the order, an undertaking that Noticees shall apply to the regulatory authorities
including RBI on or before July 12, 2024 for all the requisite statutory approvals that
are necessary for proceeding with the open offer by the Acquirers (i.e. Burman Group who
have made open offer to the shareholders of the Company vide Public Announcement dated
September 25, 2023); to take all necessary steps to facilitate the Acquirers to fulfil
their obligations under SAST Regulations, 2011; and to forthwith constitute Committee of
Independent Directors, in terms of Reg 26(6) of SAST Regulations, 2011, if not already
constituted.
In addition, under Para 34 of the Order cum SCN, a show cause notice
was issued to the Noticees as to why further action under Section 11, 11(4) and 11B of the
SEBI Act, 1992 should not be initiated against the Noticees restraining them from
accessing the securities market for a specified period and from associating with any
listed company, etc. Pertinently, under Para 35 of the SEBI Order, a time period of 14
days was provided to the Noticees to reply their objections.
The Order cum SCN alleges that:
the Company has violated provisions of Regulation 26 of SAST
Regulations, 2011 and has failed to adhere to the underlying principles governing the SAST
Regulations, 2011. Further, Noticee 1 is also alleged to have violated the provisions of
Regulations 4(2)(a) and (d) of the LODR Regulations, 2015.
Noticees 2 to 7 who are directors of the Company are responsible
for the affairs of the Company and therefore for the contraventions done by the Company.
Further, Noticees 2 to 7 have also allegedly violated the provisions of Regulation 4(2)(f)
of the LODR Regulations, 2015.
The Company and its Directors (hereinafter "Appellants")
preferred an appeal before the Securities Appellate Tribunal ("SAT"), Mumbai
against the Order cum SCN. Upon hearing the matter on July 10, 2024, the SAT has passed an
Order dated July 10, 2024.
The relevant excerpts of the SAT Order are as under:
The Appellants have been granted time till July 22, 2024 to file
the necessary application to the Regulatory Authorities including Reserve Bank of India
("RBI"), without prejudice to the rights and contentions including in the
appeal, in order to comply with the directions contained in the Order cum SCN;
Directions contained in para 35 of the Order cum SCN requiring
Appellants to file the reply / objection to the SCN cum Order have been stayed.
In compliance with the SAT Order, an application has been submitted by
the Company to the RBI on July 22, 2024. The respective subsidiaries of the Company have
also submitted the applications to their regulators on July 22, 2024.
The matter is currently sub-judice.
Serious Fraud Investigation Office
("SFIO")
In the matter of ongoing investigation of the Company initiated by SFIO
in February 2018, as ordered by Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, the
Company and its subsidiaries have been providing the requisite information / documents
from time to time thus extending all possible cooperation to the authority.
LEGAL UPDATES
Petition for rectification of Register of
Members of the Company
Loancore Servicing Solutions Pvt. Limited had filed a petition before
the Hon'ble NCLT, Delhi under Sections 58 and 59 of the Companies Act, 2013 seeking
rectification of Register of Members of the Company, which was dismissed in default, vide
order dated November 11, 2022 by Hon'ble NCLT. Further, Loancore has filed an application
for restoration of the said petition which was dismissed vide order dated 18.10.2024.
Corporate Loan Book
RFL has an exposure of ' 81,468 Lakhs as at March 31,2024 towards the
Corporate Loan Book ("CLB"). RBI raised concerns in the past about the credit
worthiness of the borrowers, credit appraisal and loan sanctioning mechanism followed by
RFL in respect of this book. The management reviewed the portfolio and the financial
reports of such borrowers to determine the respective recoverability of the said loans.
Based on the maturity dates of the loans, recovery steps instituted and the financial
reports of the borrowers, RFL had, on a prudent basis, made full provision of ' 2,03,670
Lakhs during the previous years against this portfolio.
RFL had initiated insolvency proceedings before the National Company
Law Tribunal ('NCLT'), New Delhi against the concerned borrowers forming a part of the CLB
category. Daiichi has sought impleadment and dismissal of petitions.
The matter is pending at the stage of admission for completion of
pleadings.
Further, RFL's Insolvency petition against one of the Borrower i.e.
Annies Apparal was withdrawn by RFL on account that the said Borrower is already
undergoing liquidation in a separate proceeding wherein, RFL's claim was accepted by the
Court. The Liquidation proceedings are under process.
RFL also filed criminal complaint before the EOW, Delhi on December 19,
2018 for various criminal actions committed by the erstwhile promoters and other
associated persons/ entities, on which F.I.R. no. 50/2019 has been registered under
Sections 409, 420 and 120-B of Indian Penal Code, 1860. The matter is pending before the
Hon'ble Court for further Arguments on charge.
The Zonal Office of Enforcement Directorate ('ED') has lodged an
enforcement case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act bearing ECIR no. 5 of 2019
on the basis of aforesaid F.I.R. The matter is sub-judice.
RFL has recognized ECL / impairment in respect of its entire exposure
in respect of CLB portfolio as at March 31, 2024 and no further financial implications are
expected on RFL in this regard.
Religare Comtrade Limited (now merged into REL) had also filed
insolvency petitions against its borrowers & REL had filed insolvency petition against
borrower ANR Securities', before the Hon'ble NCLT, New Delhi. Daiichi has sought
impleadment and dismissal of petitions. The matter is pending at the stage of admission
for completion of pleadings.
Fixed Deposits with Lakshmi Vilas Bank
As disclosed in the previous year's reports, RFL had filed a suit in
May 2018 before the Hon'ble Delhi High Court for recovery of fixed deposits amounting to '
79,145 Lakhs (excluding ' 2,703.39 Lakhs interest accrued & due till the date of
original maturity i.e. July 20, 2018) misappropriated / adjusted by Lakshmi Vilas Bank
(LVB) against the loans given to erstwhile promoter group companies in the previous years.
The Hon'ble Delhi High Court passed interim Orders directing that status quo be maintained
in respect of RFL's current account maintained with LVB. RFL filed an application before
the Hon'ble Court for substitution of LVB with DBS Bank India Limited (DBS) which was
allowed. RFL moved another application for amendment of suit under Order 6 Rule 17 which
was allowed by the Hon'ble Court vide Order dt. December 15, 2023. DBS had challenged the
said Order before the Appellate Court as well as before the Hon'ble Supreme Court which
were dismissed. Further, LVB's Application u/O-VII R-11 seeking dismissal of plaint is
also dismissed vide Order dated 03-Dec-24. The matter is sub-judice.
Enforcement Directorate has suo-moto lodged ECIR on the basis of the
FIR lodged by EOW and the same is under investigation.
Writ Petition before the Delhi High Court
against SEBI:
The Company has filed a writ petition before the Delhi High Court
seeking investigation by the SEBI on the complaints/ grievances raised by the Company /
Committee of Independent Directors against the Burman entities in connection with the
ongoing open offer. The communications/complaints submitted by the Company highlighted its
concerns, inter alia, pertaining to the fit and proper criteria of the Acquirers. REL has,
under the Writ Petition, prayed for the Respondent to initiate an appropriate
investigation on the complaints and communication issued to SEBI by REL in a time bound
manner. The said writ has been disposed with the direction that all rights and contention
of the parties are open and the Hon'ble Delhi Court has not made any observation on the
merits of the case.
Daiichi Sankyo Company Ltd.
("Daiichi") vs. Malvinder Mohan Singh (MMS) & Ors pending before Delhi High
Court, New Delhi
Daiichi Sankyo Company had filed execution proceedings against REL,
RCML and RCMIML. In the said execution proceedings, Daiichi has obtained a status quo
order on the brand "Religare" by suppressing the fact that the entire
shareholding of RHC Holdings Pvt. Ltd. ("RHC") in M/s Elive Infotech Pvt. Ltd.
("Elive") had been pledged in favor of RFL as a security for various loans to
group companies of RHC. RFL had filed an objection application in the said proceedings.
Elive Infotech has also filed an application seeking sale of the Religare Trademarks along
with the payment of approx ' 323 Crores from REL on the basis of the unauthorized usage of
the Religare and allied Trademarks in light of the Brand License Agreement executed with
RHC. REL & RFL has filed objections/ reply to the said application.
Furthermore, RFL has filed objections for sale of certain land parcels
as mentioned in E.A. 185 of 2022. Further, Daiichi has also filed application demanding
the forensic audit of Religare Group Companies in terms of order dated September 22, 2022
passed by Hon'ble Supreme Court in the matter of Oscar Investments. REL and RFL have filed
their replies and objected to the same. The matter is sub-judice.
Shivinder Mohan Singh (SMS) vs. REL &
Ors, pending before Saket District Courts, Delhi:
SMS has filed a suit for declaration against the Company and its
subsidiaries i.e. RFL, RCL, RSL, RCML, RCTL, RCMIML and current management before the
court of ADJ, Saket Court, New Delhi seeking declaration that the termination of the
Indemnity cum Release Agreement dated November 14, 2017 vide communication dated September
10, 2018, issued by REL & its subsidiaries, is illegal & void-ab-initio and
further contended that the said agreement continues to be enforceable as per law and is
binding upon the parties as on date. Religare entities has already filed its written
statement to the said suit. Furthermore, application under Order 7 Rule 11 of the CPC,
1908 have also been preferred on behalf of the aforementioned Religare Group entities
seeking dismissal of the Suit.
The suit has also impleaded the current Directors, in their capacity of
Independent Directors against which applications under Order 1 Rule 10 of the CPC, 1908
have also been filed seeking their deletion from the memo of parties. Last opportunity
granted to the SMS to file reply to the said application. The matter is sub-judice.
M.B. Finmart & Ors. Vs. ROC of NCT of Delhi and Haryana
& Anr. [W.P.(C). 12025/2024, Delhi High Court]
The Acquirers have challenged the order dated 22.08.2024 passed by the
ROC of Delhi and Haryana, whereby the ROC had allowed the application made by REL seeking
extension of 3 months for conducting its AGM for the Financial year ending 31.03.2024
under Section 96 of the Companies Act, 2013. This Writ Petition was dismissed vide order
dated 30.08.2024.
M.B. Finmart & Ors. Vs. ROC of NCT of Delhi and Haryana
[L.P.A. 931/2024]
An Appeal has been filed by the acquirers against the dismissal order
dated 30.08.2024 in W.P.(C) 12025/2024. The matter is sub-judice.
Appeal against IRDAI order dated July 23, 2024
I RDAI had passed an order dated 23.07.2024 against CHIL wherein
directions were given to CHIL to buy back Employee Stock Options granted to Dr. Rashmi
Saluja at the exercise price of ' 45.32/- within 30 days, cancel and revoke the stock
options granted to Dr. Saluja, which remain exercised and/ or unvested as on the date of
the order and restrained CHIL from making any further allotment of ESOPS in her favour;
Further, imposing a fine of ' 1 Crore, CHIL has been directed to seek prior approval of
IRDAI before making/implementing any decision in relation to any remuneration/payment to
any member of the Board of the Appellant.
This order was challenged by CHIL (as well as Dr. Saluja in her
individual capacity) before the Hon'ble Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) primarily on
the ground that the ESOPs were granted to Dr. Saluja in in her capacity of employee and
Executive Chairperson of REL, the holding company from the ESOP pool for this purpose, in
accordance with the ESOP Scheme and after due approval by Board and the shareholders.
Vide its Order dated 09.08.2024, the SAT directed as follows:
a. the Order is stayed for a period of 12 weeks with liberty to seek
vacation/modification after filing of reply. (This stay has been further extended to
21.01.2025)
b. 75,69,685 shares of CHIL shall not be dealt with by Dr. Saluja and
status quo to be maintained in respect of unexercised, unvested stock options of CHIL.
c. Directions under Para 23 of the Order (penalty of ' 1 Crore on CHIL)
stayed subject to deposit of 50% amount thereunder within period of 4 weeks from the
order, which has since been complied with.
The matter is sub-judice.
EQUITY SHARE CAPITAL
The Authorized Share Capital of the Company as on March 31,2024 was '
9,89,70,50,000 (Rupees Nine Hundred Eighty Nine Crore Seventy Lakh and Fifty Thousand
only) divided into 82,77,05,000 (Eighty Two Crore Seventy Seven Lakh Five Thousand only)
Equity Shares of ' 10 (Rupees Ten only) each aggregating ' 8,27,70,50,000 (Rupees Eight
Hundred Twenty Seven Crore Seventy Lakh Fifty Thousand only) and 16,20,00,000 (Sixteen
Crore Twenty Lakh only) Redeemable Preference Shares of '10 (Rupees Ten only) each
aggregating ' 1,62,00,00,000 (Rupees One Hundred Sixty Two Crore only).
During the year under review, the issued, subscribed and paid up equity
share capital of the Company was increased from ' 3,23,55,94,630/- (Rupees Three Hundred
Twenty Three Crores Fifty Five Lakhs Ninety Four Thousand Six Hundred and Thirty only)
consisting of 32,35,59,463 (Thirty Two Crores Thirty Five Lakhs Fifty Nine Thousand Four
Hundred and Sixty Three only) equity shares of ' 10/- (Rupees Ten only) each to '
3,29,72,11,630 (Rupees Three Hundred Twenty Nine Crores Seventy Two Lakhs Eleven Thousand
Six Hundred and Thirty only) consisting of 32,97,21,163 (Thirty Two Crores Ninety Seven
Lakhs Twenty One Thousand One Hundred and Sixty Three only) equity shares of ' 10/-
(Rupees Ten only) each.
The issued, subscribed and paid up equity share capital as on March 31,
2024 is ' 3,29,72,11,630 (Rupees Three Hundred Twenty Nine Crores Seventy Two Lakhs Eleven
Thousand Six Hundred and Thirty only).
Post March 31, 2024 and till the date of this report, the Company
allotted 8,84,500 Equity Shares of face value of ' 10/- each at exercise price ranging
from ' 39.55 to ' 207.20 each pursuant to exercise of stock options granted under the
Religare Enterprises Limited Employee Stock Option Plan 2019. Pursuant to the said
allotment, the issued, subscribed and paid up equity capital of the Company stands
increased from ' 3,29,72,11,630/- divided into 32,97,21,163 equity shares of ' 10/- each
to ' 3,30,60,56,630/- divided into 33,06,05,663 equity shares of ' 10/- each.
PREFERENCE SHARE CAPITAL
The Company has two types of Preference Shares outstanding as on date
comprising 15 Lakhs 13.66% Cumulative Non-Convertible Redeemable Preference Shares of '
10/- each issued in 2008 (2008 Preference Shares) and 2.5 Crores 0.01% Non-Cumulative
Non-Convertible Redeemable Preference Shares of ' 10/- each issued in 2016 (2016
Preference Shares).
The Company did not redeem the 2008 Preference Shares on due date of
October 31, 2018 with Redemption value amounting at ' 4,190.28 Lakhs basis the interim
application filed in the matter of Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited vs. Malvinder Mohan
Singh & Others before the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi disputing its liability as
garnishee and praying among other reliefs for the stay of redemption pending the outcome
of investigations into the affairs of the Company and its subsidiaries already initiated
by SEBI and SFIO. The Company has been served with warrants of attachment as Garnishee,
which is being contested / challenged. Further, the Company has also filed a criminal
complaint before the Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police for various offences under the
Indian Penal Code, 1860 w.r.t transactions relating to issuance and redemption of said
Preference Shares.
Further, due to non-payment of dividend by the Company continuously for
two years on 2016 Preference Shares, voting rights triggered on these Preference Shares in
terms of relevant provisions of the Act. The Company has also not paid dividend on 2008
Preference Shares but the Company has a letter dated August 20, 2012 from then holder of
these shares irrevocably and unconditionally waiving off the voting rights on 2008
Preference Shares. The Company has not redeemed aforesaid 2016 Preference Shares with
redemption value amounting ' 4,212.75 Lakhs due for redemption on August 30, 2021 and
which is outstanding as of March 31, 2024.
The Company has filed the petition before the Hon'ble National Company
Law Tribunal, New Delhi Bench seeking rectification of Register of Members of the Company
by cancellation of 2016 Preference Shares and any other appropriate reliefs, including
interim relief with respect to freezing of voting rights and dividend rights attached to
the said 2016 Preference Shares. The Hon'ble NCLT on September 29, 2021 directed ordering
the status quo on the respondents to restrain them from exercising their voting power with
the resolution until the further order. Further, vide order dated December 16, 2021, it
was affirmed by Hon'ble Tribunal that interim order will continue. The matter is
sub-judice.
The Company on prudent basis had created a provision of ' 2,941.67
Lakhs towards the potential interest liability from the redemption date till March 31,
2023 on aforesaid Preference Shares. However, based on its re-assessment of the facts of
the matter and as advised by the legal experts as at March 31, 2023, the Company is of the
view that there will be no contractual or legal obligation on the Company to pay any
compensation/interest in lieu of the unredeemed Preference Shares or on its redemption
value irrespective of what may be the final outcome of the matters regarding the payment
of total redemption value of ' 8,403.03 Lakhs which are presently sub-judice. Accordingly,
the provision created towards contingency of ' 2,941.67 Lakhs was reversed during the year
ended March 31, 2023. However, the provision towards the redemption value has been
continued on prudent / conservative basis.
NON-CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES
There are no outstanding non-convertible debentures as on date.
PUBLIC DEPOSITS
Your Company has neither invited nor accepted any deposits from public
within the meaning of Section 73 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Companies
(Acceptance of Deposits) Rules, 2014 during the period under review.
ANNUAL RETURN
As per the requirements of Section 92(3) read with Section 134(3) (a)
of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rules framed thereunder, copy of the Annual Return as
on March 31, 2024 is available on website of the Company and can be accessed through the
link https://religare.com/annual-returns/
CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS
Your Company is registered with the Reserve Bank of India
("RBI")1 as a Non-Deposit Taking Systemically Important Core
Investment Company ("CIC-ND-SI") vide Certificate No. N-14.03222 dated June 03,
2014. Pursuant to introduction of the Revised Regulatory Framework for NBFCs through Scale
Based Regulation (SBR) by RBI on October 22, 2021, the Company is classified as NBFC -
Middle Layer. As a Core Investment Company, your Company is primarily engaged in the
business of investment of shares of and lending to its group companies holding not less
than 90% of its net assets in the form of investment in equity shares, preference shares,
bonds, debentures, debt or loans in group companies.
<
p >Being a Core Investment Company, the requirement of capital adequacy is
not in the form of Capital to Risk Weighted Assets (CRAR) like conventional credit and
investment companies. The Company is required to -
a. maintain minimum Adjusted Net Worth of 30% of its aggregate risk
weighted assets on balance sheet and risk adjusted value of off-balance sheet items as on
the date of the last audited balance sheet as at the end of the financial year; and
b. restrict the outside liabilities up to 2.5 times of its Adjusted Net
Worth as on the date of the last audited balance sheet as at the end of
the financial year.
The Company is in compliance with the abovementioned requirements as at
March 31, 2024.
Further, based on the RBI's instructions on Scale Based Regulation of
NBFCs, the Company also conducted an Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment for FY 2023-24
as per the Company's ICAAP policy. It was observed that the Company was adequately
capitalized to cover for all material risks.
RELIGARE EMPLOYEES STOCK OPTION SCHEMES
Nomination and Remuneration Committee ("Committee") of the
Board of Directors of the Company, inter alia, administers and monitors the Employees'
Stock Option Schemes of the Company in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board
of India (Share Based Employee Benefits and Sweat Equity) Regulations, 2021 (erstwhile
Securities and Exchange Board of India) (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations, 2014
& Securities and Exchange Board of India (Employee Stock Option Scheme and Employee
Stock Purchase Scheme) Guidelines, 1999) (the SEBI ESOP Regulations').
During the year under review, the Committee granted 68,00,000 stock
options under the "Religare Enterprises Limited Employees Stock Option Plan
2019".
Details as required under the SEBI ESOP Regulations, Religare Employees
Stock Option Plan 2019 ("ESOP Scheme 2019") have been uploaded on the website of
the Company and can be accessed through the link https://religare.com/employee-stock-
option-schemes/.
Considering that there are no outstanding options under said schemes,
the Board of Directors on August 08, 2023 approved the termination of Religare Employees
Stock Option Scheme 2010 and Religare Employees Stock Option Scheme 2012 as per the
provisions of the said schemes.
Certificate from the Secretarial Auditors confirming that ESOP Scheme
2019 has been implemented in accordance with the SEBI ESOP Regulations will be available
for inspection by the members in the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the Company.
1
RBI Disclaimer: (a) Reserve Bank of India does not accept any
responsibility or guarantee about the present position as to the financial soundness of
the company or for the correctness of any of the statements or representations made or
opinions expressed by the company and for discharge of liability by the company; (b)
Neither is there any provision in law to keep, nor does the company keep any part of the
deposits with the Reserve Bank and by issuing the Certificate of Registration to the
company, the Reserve Bank neither accepts any responsibility nor guarantee for the payment
of the public funds to any person/ body corporate.
CHANGES IN DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL
Following changes occurred in the directors of the Company during the
year under review:
The members approved the appointment of Mr. Malay Kumar Sinha as
a Director w.e.f. May 28, 2023 and his re-appointment as Non-Executive Independent
Director for a second term of 5 consecutive years.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vide its letter dated May 15, 2024 has
informed the Company that the application dated November 17, 2023 for prior approval of
RBI for appointment of Mr. Rakesh Asthaana (DIN: 09311328), Group Head - Corporate Affairs
& Business Advisor, as Additional Director (to be designated as Whole-time Director)
to the Board of the Company does not have the approval of Reserve Bank of India.
In terms of Section 203 of the Act, following are the KMPs of the
Company as on March 31,2024:
1. Dr. Rashmi Saluja, Executive Chairperson
2. Mr. Nitin Aggarwal, Group Chief Financial Officer
3. Ms. Reena Jayara, Company Secretary
*Mr. Nitin Aggarwal ceased to be Group CFO of the Company w.e.f.
November 12, 2024
** Ms. Reena Jayara ceased to be Company Secretary and Compliance
Officer of the Company w.e.f. October 07, 2024
Further, Mr. Rajat Kalra was appointed as Company Secretary and
Compliance Officer w.e.f. October 08, 2024 in place of Ms. Reena Jayara. However, he
resigned as Company Secretary and Compliance Officer w.e.f. November 22, 2024.
Mr. Vinay Gupta has been appointed as Company Secretary and Compliance
Officer w.e.f. December 05, 2024.
In accordance with the provisions of Section 152 of the Act, Dr. Rashmi
Saluja (DIN: 01715298), retires at the ensuing Annual General Meeting (AGM), and being
eligible, offers herself for re-appointment. Brief details of Dr. Rashmi Saluja, who is
seeking re-appointment, are given in the Notice of the AGM.
In the opinion of the Board, the Independent Directors appointed are
persons of integrity and fulfil requisite conditions as per applicable laws and are
independent of the management of the Company.
Further in the opinion of the Board, the Directors appointed possess
requisite qualifications, experience, expertise, proficiency and hold high standards of
integrity.
I OC DECLARATION BY THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
All Independent Directors (IDs) have given declarations that they meet
the criteria of independence as laid down under Section 149(6) of the Act and Regulation
16 of SEBI LODR Regulations.
All the IDs of the Company have registered their names with the data
bank of IDs maintained by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA).
In terms of Regulation 25(8) of the SEBI LODR Regulations, the
Independent Directors have confirmed that they are not aware of any circumstances or
situation which exist or may be anticipated, that could impair or impact their ability to
discharge their duties.
In the opinion of the Board, Independent Directors qualify the criteria
of Independent Director as mentioned in the Act and SEBI LODR Regulations and are
independent of the management.
Further, all the Directors of the Company (including Executive
Chairperson) have confirmed that they satisfy the "Fit & Proper" criteria as
prescribed in the Directors Appointment & Fit and Proper Policy of the Company.
Pursuant to RBI circular introducing Scale Based Regulations, an
independent director shall not be on the Board of more than three NBFCs (NBFCs-ML or
NBFCs-UL) at the same time and the NBFC shall ensure that there is no conflict arising out
of their independent directors being on the Board of another NBFC at the same time.
In this respect, the Company has received confirmation from the
Independent Directors on the above requirement that they are not on the Board of more than
three NBFCs in Upper or Middle Layer.
BOARD EVALUATION AND INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS'
MEETING
Pursuant to the provisions of the Act and SEBI LODR Regulations, the
Board is required to carry out an annual performance evaluation of its own performance,
the performance of the directors individually as well as the evaluation of the working of
its Committees.
The performance evaluation of the members of the Board, the Board level
Committees and Board as a whole was carried out in the Board meeting held on May 21, 2024
as per the Board Evaluation Policy of the Company. The Board expressed its satisfaction
with the evaluation process. The manner in which evaluation has been carried out and
criteria of evaluation has been explained in the Corporate Governance Report.
During the year, the Independent Directors met without the presence of
other directors or members of Management.
All the Independent Directors were present at the meeting. In the
meeting, the Independent Directors reviewed performance of Non-Independent Directors, the
Board as a whole and Chairperson. They assessed the quality, quantity and timeliness of
flow of information between the Company Management and the Board. The Independent
Directors expressed satisfaction over the performance of the Executive Chairperson and
Management of the Company.
APPOINTMENT & REMUNERATION POLICY
The Nomination and Remuneration Committee is authorized to determine
the criteria of appointment of Directors and to identify candidates for appointment to the
Board of Directors. In evaluating the suitability of a person for appointment /
re-appointment as a Director, the Committee takes into account the eligibility,
qualification, skills, expertise, track record, integrity and fit and proper credential of
the appointee. The Committee also assesses the independence of Directors at the time of
their appointment / re-appointment as per the criteria prescribed under the provisions of
the Act, the rules made thereunder and the SEBI LODR Regulations. The Board has adopted
the Director's Appointment & Fit and Proper Policy in line with the requirements of
the Act and RBI Guidelines on Corporate Governance.
The Company has the Remuneration Policies in place for remuneration of
Directors (Executive and Non-Executive), Key Managerial Personnel, Senior Manag erial
Personnel and other employees in line with the requirement of the Act, SEBI LODR
Regulations and Guidelines on Compensation of the Key Managerial Personnel, Senior
Managerial Personnel in NBFCs as issued by the RBI.
In compliance with the RBI Notification dated 22 October 2021 on
introduction of the Scale Based Regulatory framework for NBFCs followed by
Notification dated April 29, 2022 w.r.t. Guidelines on Compensation of Key
Managerial Personnel (KMP) and Senior Management Personnel (SMP) in NBFCs', the Company
had incorporated appropriate changes in the Policy relating to the framework for role for
NRC, composition of compensation, effective alignment of fixed and variable compensation
components with prudent risk taking, principles of variable compensation - proportion,
deferral, compensation of control and assurance function personnel, Guaranteed Bonus
Guidelines, Malus and Claw back etc. w.e.f. April 01,2023.
The Remuneration Policy(ies) are stated in the Corporate Governance
Report. The relevant Policy(ies) are being updated regularly and have been uploaded on the
website of the Company and can be accessed through the link
https://religare.com/policies/.
INTERNAL CAPITAL ADEQUACY ASSESSMENT PROCESS
("ICAAP")
RBI, vide its circular dated October 22, 2021 issued Scale Based
Regulation (SBR): A Revised Regulatory Framework for NBFCs. In terms of Clause 3.2.1 of
the SBR, the NBFCs in Upper Layer and Middle Layer are required to make a thorough
internal assessment of the need for capital, commensurate with the risks in their
business, on similar lines as ICAAP prescribed for commercial banks under Pillar 2 (Master
Circular - Basel III Capital Regulations dated July 01, 2015). The Company, being an NBFC
in the Middle Layer, in compliance with the regulatory requirements, formulated a
comprehensive ICAAP policy which was approved by the Board. The objectives of ICAAP,
governance structure, roles and responsibilities, ICAAP process involving identification
of risks (credit, market, operational and other residual risks) to which the Company is
exposed, the adequacy of capital to deal with the impact of these commensurate with the
scale and complexity of operations of the Company, and capital planning to ensure adequacy
of capital have been detailed in the ICAAP policy.
The objective of ICAAP is to assess on an ongoing basis the adequacy of
capital so as to ensure availability of capital considering all risks in business so as to
enable better assessment, monitoring and management of risks as well as efficient capital
management and capital planning commensurate with the business of the Company and risks it
is exposed to. Supervisory assessment of ICAAP facilitates active dialogue between RBI and
the Company on risk assessment, monitoring and mitigation.
The Company conducted an Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment as per
the ICAAP policy for FY 2023-24 and presented the report to the GRMC and Board. The ICAAP
indicated that the Company was adequately capitalized to cover for all material risks
including in stress scenarios.
COMPLIANCE POLICY
In compliance with the RBI Circular dated April 11, 2022 on
Compliance Function and Role of Chief Compliance Officer' issued in furtherance to
the Scale Based Regulation (SBR): A Revised Regulatory Framework for NBFCs dated October
22, 2021 issued by RBI, the Company has put in place a Compliance Policy which has been
duly approved by the Board. Further, the Company has strengthened its Compliance team and
processes to ensure effective tracking and monitoring of regulatory compliances. Being a
Core Investment Company, the Company is also overseeing regulatory and statutory
compliances by all the entities in the Group. The Company has also put in place an on-line
internal compliance monitoring tool as mandated by RBI.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CYBER SECURITY
RBI vide Master Direction - Information Technology Framework for the
NBFC Sector dated June 08, 2017 has laid down an information technology framework for the
NBFC sector to formulate IT framework inter-alia on IT Governance, IT Policy, Information
and Cyber Security, IT Operations, IS Audit, Business Continuity Planning and IT Services
Outsourcing by the NBFCs. Pursuant to the framework, the Company has constituted the IT
Strategy Committee and also appointed / designated the Chief Information Officer in the
Company.
Pursuant to the said directions / framework, the Company has put in
place policies which, inter alia, includes Business Continuity Policy, Information
Security Policy, Information Technology Policy, Cyber Security Policy, IT Outsourcing
Policy etc. and has taken all appropriate measures necessary to strengthen the IT
environment and cyber security in the Company.
BOARD/COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND MEETINGS
During the financial year under review nine (9) meetings of the Board
of Directors were held. A calendar of meetings is prepared and circulated in advance to
the Directors.
The Company has the following Board Committees:
1. Audit & Governance Committee
2. Nomination & Remuneration Committee
3. Stakeholders' Relationship Committee
4. Group Risk Management Committee
5. Corporate Social Responsibility & ESG Committee
6. Asset Liability Management Committee
7. Investment Borrowing & Share Allotment Committee
8. IT Strategy Committee
9. Committee of Independent Directors
The Corporate Social Responsibility Committee was renamed as Corporate
Social Responsibility & ESG Committee ("CSR & ESG Committee") on
November 02, 2023 to include the matters relating to ESG in its Scope.
The RPT Sub-Committee which was constituted to monitor and regulate
transactions between the Company and its Related Parties in terms of shareholder agreement
with International Finance Corporation (IFC) was dissolved consequent to the sale of its
entire shareholding in the Company by IFC on January 29, 2024.
Further, the Committee of Independent Directors (COID) was constituted
during the year on October 09, 2023 in terms of the requirements of Regulation 26 (6) of
the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and
Takeovers) Regulations, 2011 ("SAST Regulations"), to publish reasoned
recommendations on the open offer to the shareholders of the Company in terms of
Regulation 26(7) of SAST Regulations at the appropriate time.
Details of the composition of the Board and Committees and changes
therein, terms of reference of the Committees, attendance of Directors at meetings of the
Board and Committees and other requisite details are provided in the Corporate Governance
Report which forms part of this Annual Report.
The intervening gap between the Meetings was within the period
prescribed under the Act and the SEBI LODR Regulations.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVES
In compliance with Section 135 of the Act read with the Companies
(Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014 as amended, the Company has
established a Corporate Social Responsibility ("CSR") Committee. The CSR
Committee has formulated and recommended to the Board, a CSR Policy which provides the
overview of projects or programs and the guiding principles for selection, implementation
and monitoring of the CSR activities, which has been approved by the Board. The strategic
intent was to adopt a unified cause across the Religare Group and hence the CSR policy and
program to be supported has been cascaded across all Group entities.
The Company has a dedicated subsidiary namely Religare Care Foundation
("RCF") registered under Section 8 of the Act to look after the CSR expenditure
of the various companies of Religare group leading to a more strategic and efficient
approach in CSR spending towards a larger unified purpose at group level. Such in-house
CSR company also leads to a more administrative control and economy of operations in group
CSR spending and also helpful in achieving better brand building.
The Company was not required to spend money under CSR for financial
year ended 2023-24 as prescribed under Section 135 of the Act as the Company incurred an
average net loss of ' 3,659.38 Lakhs for previous three financial years.
Annual Report on CSR in the format prescribed in Companies (Corporate
Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014 as amended is attached as "Annexure
A".
AWARDS & RATINGS
Following awards and recognitions were received by the subsidiaries of
the Company during the period under review -
Awards
Care Health Insurance Limited
i. Smart Insurer Award - The 10th Annual Insurance Summit
& Awards 2023
ii. Amiable Insurer Award - The 10th Annual Insurance Summit
& Awards 2023
iii. Best Health Insurance Company In Rural Sector - the India
Insurance Summit & Awards 2024
iv. Claims Service Leader of The Year - India Insurance Summit &
Awards 2024
Religare Broking Limited
i. Leading Member-Base Metals-MCX Awards 2023
ii. Most Preferred Workplace (2023-2024) - BFSI
Marksmen Daily
iii. Appreciation Award - 2023- PFRDA
Ratings
The Company had no ratings during the year under review as there were
no outstanding facility(ies) which requires the Company to have any rating.
With respect to our subsidiary Care Health Insurance Limited (CHIL),
India Ratings and Research Pvt Limited has affirmed the proposed Subordinated debt rating
of 'IND A+' / Stable of CHIL and has assigned Long-Term Issuer Rating of 'IND A+' / Stable
to CHIL. The corporate credit "CRISIL A+/Stable" (pronounced as CRISIL A plus
rating with stable outlook) rating assigned to CHIL by CRISIL Ratings was withdrawn in
April 2024 in consistent with the policy on withdrawal of ratings of the agency.
In Religare Broking Limited (RBL), CRISIL Ratings Limited has assigned
ratings i.e. CRISIL BBB/Stable (Assigned) long term rating & CRISIL A3+ (Assigned)
short-term rating to the Bank Loan facilities of ' 350 Crore in December 2023. Care
Ratings Limited has upgraded the ratings of its long-term / short term bank facilities up
to ' 500 Crores to CARE BBB; Stable / CARE A3+ (Triple B ; Outlook: Stable / A Three Plus)
in June 2024.
In Religare Finvest Limited (RFL), India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra)
in March 2024, consistent with its Policy on Withdrawal of Ratings, has withdrawn the Long
term bank loans rating assigned to RFL on receipt of no dues certificate from the lender.
The Lower tier 2 sub-debt (long term) rating assigned to the NCDs of RFL was withdrawn by
Ind-Ra in October 2023, Further in October 2023, ICRA has withdrawn the Long Term
bonds/NCD/LTD rating of [ICRA] D assigned to the NCDs of RFL. As on March 31, 2024 RFL
didn't not have any credit rating from any credit rating agency.
The housing finance subsidiary Religare Housing Development Finance
Corporation Limited (RHDFCL) had rating of CARE BB+ (Outlook: Negative) assigned to long
term bank lines by Care Ratings Limited during the year. Further, in April 2024, ICRA
Limited has upgraded rating of long-term bank lines to [ICRA]BB (Stable)/ from [ICRA]BB-
(Outlook: Stable) and reaffirmed short-term bank loan / short-term debt programme rating
at [ICRA] A4. Further, in July 2024, CARE Ratings revised its rating outlook from Negative
to Stable, CARE BB+ (Stable), on the long term bank lines rating of RHDFCL. In September
2024, Infomerics Ratings assigned the rating of IVR BBB- (Outlook: Stable) to RHDFCL's
proposed Non-Convertible Debentures of ' 100 Crores.
LISTING ON STOCK EXCHANGES
The Equity Shares of the Company are listed on National Stock Exchange
of India Limited and BSE Limited. The annual listing fees for the year 2023-24 have been
paid to both the Stock Exchanges.
STATUTORY DISCLOSURES
None of the Directors of your Company is disqualified as per provision
of Section 164(2) of the Act. The Directors of the Company have made necessary
disclosures, as required under various provisions of the Act and the SEBI LODR
Regulations.
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As required under the Regulation 34 of SEBI LODR Regulations and
Section 129(3) of the Act, consolidated financial statements of the Company and its
subsidiaries are attached to the Annual Report. The consolidated financial statements have
been prepared in accordance with Indian Accounting Standard ("Ind AS")-103,
"Business Combination" and Ind AS-110 "Consolidated Financial
Statements" issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and notified by
the MCA. The audited consolidated financial statements together with Auditor's Report form
part of the Annual Report.
Though, the Company holds 100% equity share capital in Religare Capital
Markets Limited ("RCML"), however in the present scenario controlling through
voting rights of RCML is not there with the Company. Beside this, the tripartite agreement
entered into, in financial year 2011-12, between REL, RCML and RHC Holding Private Limited
("RHCHPL"), for providing financial support to RCML by RHCHPL (by subscribing
Preference Shares of RCML), severe long term restrictions and significant restrictive
covenants on major decision making at RCML were imposed by the holder of preference
shares. Accordingly in view of the above, the financial statements of RCML and its
subsidiaries have been excluded from the consolidated financial statements of the Company
w.e.f. October 01, 2011, in accordance with applicable accounting standards. The Company
has already provided fully for the entire investment made by it in RCML in previous years.
The consolidated financial statements presented by your Company,
including financial information of all its subsidiaries, excluding RCML and RCML's
subsidiaries, have been duly audited by the Statutory Auditors and the same is published
in your Company's Annual Report.
The financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries are placed
on the Company's website at https://religare.com/ quarterly-annual-results/.
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION
Even though operations of the Company are not energy intensive, the
management has been highly conscious of the importance of conservation of energy and
technology absorption at all operational levels and efforts are made in this direction on
a continuous basis. In view of the nature of activities which are being carried on by the
Company, the particulars as prescribed under Section 134(3)(m) of the Act read with Rule 8
of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 regarding conservation of energy and technology
absorption are not applicable to the Company and hence have not been provided.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The Company has incurred ' 30.73 Lakhs expenditure (previous year: '
Nil) in foreign exchange and earned ' 10.78 Lakhs income (previous year: Nil) in foreign
exchange during the year under review on a standalone basis.
MAINTAINANCE OF COST RECORDS
The Company is in the financial services industry. In view of the
nature of activities which are being carried on by the Company, the maintenance of cost
records as specified by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of section 148 of the
Act is not applicable on the Company and hence such accounts and records are not
maintained.
TRANSFER TO INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND
No amount was required to be transferred by the Company to the Investor
Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) during the financial year under reporting.
The Company has appointed a Nodal Officer for the IEPF authority, the
details of which are available on the website of the Company at
https://religare.com/investor-contacts/
DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to Section 134(5) of the Act, the Board of Directors, to the
best of their knowledge and ability, confirm that:
(a) i n the preparation of the annual financial statements for the year
ended March 31, 2024, the applicable accounting standards have been followed along with
proper explanation relating to material departures;
(b) they have selected such accounting policies and applied them
consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to
give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company at the end of the
financial year and of the Loss of the Company for that period;
(c) they have taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of
adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding
the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(d) they have prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis;
(e) they have laid down internal financial controls to be followed by
the Company and such internal financial controls are adequate and operating effectively;
and
(f) they have devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the
provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems are adequate and operating
effectively.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The Company is committed to uphold high standards of Corporate
Governance and adhere to the requirements set out by the Securities and Exchange Board of
India.
A detailed report on Corporate Governance along with the Certificate of
M/s DPV & Associates LLP, Company Secretaries regarding compliance with conditions of
Corporate Governance as stipulated in Schedule V of the SEBI LODR Regulations and a
certificate from M/s. MAKS & Co., Company Secretaries that none of the Directors on
the Board of the Company have been debarred or disqualified from being appointed or
continuing as Directors of companies by Board / Ministry of Corporate Affairs or any such
statutory authority forms integral part of this Report.
BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
Pursuant to Regulation 34(2)(f) of the SEBI LODR Regulations, the
Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report is annexed and forms integral part of
this Report.
EXTENSION OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of the Company for the
F.Y. 2023-24 was due to be held on or before September 30, 2024. The Company vide
application dated August 21, 2024 requested Registrar of Company for granting extension
for holding AGM for the F.Y. 2023-24.
ROC vide approval letter dated August 22, 2024 had granted an extension
for holding AGM for the F.Y. 2023-24 by 3 (three) months.
AUDITORS
M/s S. P Chopra & Co., Chartered Accountants (Firm Registration No.
000346N) holds office as Statutory Auditors of the Company until the conclusion of the 40th
AGM of the Company to be held in the year 2024 in compliance with the provisions of the
Companies Act, 2013 (Act) and 'Guidelines for Appointment of Statutory Central Auditors
(SCAs)/ Statutory Auditors (SAs) of Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), UCBs and NBFCs
(including HFCs)' issued by RBI vide Circular dated April 27, 2021 (RBI SA Guidelines).
In compliance with the regulatory requirement under the RBI SA
Guidelines, the Company had evaluated the proposals received from various audit firms
eligible to be appointed as Statutory Auditor of the Company. Basis the various proposals
received from the eligible audit firms, the Board of Directors of the Company on
recommendation of Audit Committee had approved the appointment of M/s Nangia & Co,
LLP, Chartered Accountants (Firm Registration No. 002391C-N500069), subject to approval of
the shareholders, as Statutory Auditors of the Company for a period of three years from
the conclusion of 40th AGM until the conclusion of the 43rd AGM to
be held in the year 2027. However, subsequently vide letter dated September 10, 2024, M/s.
Nangia & Co, LLP have withdrawn their consent for being considered for appointment as
Statutory Auditors of the Company.
Accordingly, management invited proposals for conducting statutory
audit of the Company afresh from eligible audit firms and on the basis of evaluation of
such proposals the Board of Directors of the Company on recommendation of Audit &
Governance Committee has approved the appointment of M/s Kirtane & Pandit LLP,
Chartered Accountants (Firm Registration No. 105215W/ W100057) as Statutory Auditors of
the Company for a period of three years from the conclusion of 40th AGM until
the conclusion of the 43rd AGM to be held in the year 2027. The first year of
audit will be of the financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2025, which will
include the audit / limited review of the quarterly financial results for the financial
year 2024-25. In this regard, the Company has received certificate to the effect that M/s
Kirtane & Pandit LLP, Chartered Accountants satisfy the criteria provided under
Section 141 of the Act and RBI SA Guidelines and that the appointment, if made, shall be
in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Act and rules framed thereunder.
Therefore, members are requested to consider and approve the
appointment of M/s. Kirtane & Pandit LLP, Chartered Accountants as Statutory Auditors
of the Company as per the proposal forming part of the Notice of the forthcoming AGM.
AUDITORS' REPORT
The Reports given by the Auditor on the financial statements of the
Company form part of the Annual Report. There is no qualification in the Auditors Report
on the standalone and consolidated financial statements for the financial year ended March
31,2024 and hence, no explanation is required thereon.
SECRETARIAL AUDITORS' REPORT
As per provisions of Section 204 of the Act, the Board of Directors of
the Company has appointed M/s P I & Associates as the Secretarial Auditor of the
Company to conduct the Secretarial Audit. The Secretarial Audit Report for the financial
year ended March 31, 2024, is annexed to this Report. Report of the Secretarial Auditor is
without any qualification and hence, no explanation is required thereon.
Further, the secretarial audit reports of material subsidiary(ies) of
the Company in FY 2023-24 is annexed to this Annual Report.
PARTICULARS OF INVESTMENTS, LOANS AND GUARANTEES
The Company, being an NBFC, is exempted from the provisions of Section
186 [except sub-section (1)] of the Act. Accordingly, details of particulars of loans,
guarantees or investments as required to be provided as per Section 134(3)(g) of the Act
are not provided.
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
All related party transactions that were entered into during the
financial year were on an arm's length basis and were in the ordinary course of business.
There are no materially significant related party transactions entered by the Company with
related parties which may have a potential conflict with the interest of the Company.
All Related Party Transactions are placed before the Audit &
Governance Committee for approval as per the Related Party Transactions Policy of the
Company as approved by the Board. As required under SEBI LODR Regulations and RBI SBR
Regulations, the Related Party Transactions Policy is also uploaded on the website of the
Company and can be accessed through the link https://religare.com/policies/.
Since all related party transactions that were entered into during the
financial year were on an arm's length basis and were in the ordinary course of business
and there was no material related party transaction entered by the Company during the year
as per Related Party Transactions Policy, no details are required to be provided in Form
AOC-2 prescribed under clause (h) of sub-section (3) of section 134 of the Act and Rule
8(2) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014.
The details of the transactions with related parties are provided in
the notes to accompanying standalone financial statements.
RISK MANAGEMENT
Risk Governance is an essential aspect of the strategy of the Company
intended at identification, assessment and mitigation of the potential risks that could
affect the Company's operations, financial performance, sustainability and reputation. The
Board of Directors of the Company are responsible for ensuring oversight of the risk
management policies & procedures and has constituted a Group Risk Management Committee
(GRMC), which is responsible to frame, implement, monitor and periodically review the
effectiveness of the risk management plan and make appropriate modifications as and when
necessary. GRMC's role has been aligned to requirements of the Companies Act, 2013, SEBI
(Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, RBI Master Directions
for Core Investment Companies and other applicable regulatory requirements. Process has
been laid down to periodically apprise the GRMC about prevalent risks and corrective plans
adopted by the respective group entities to mitigate the identified risks.
The Company is a Registered NBFC and Core Investment Company. As an
investment holding company, the management function includes oversight of risk function
prevalent to the Company and its key operating subsidiaries. The Company has a
comprehensive Risk Management framework and overarching Risk Management Policy, which has
been adopted by each of the key operating subsidiaries while formulating their Risk
Management Policy Risk Management Policy of the Company identifies the key risks which are
applicable to the Company. Risk Management Policy is aimed at identification, assessment,
mitigation, monitoring and reporting of identifiable risks and documenting of each
identified risk along with the mitigation plan. Respective functional head and / or risk
management department of key operating subsidiaries are responsible for implementation of
the Risk Management system and maintenance of record of risk and mitigation plan in Risk
& Control Matrix (RCMs) for their respective functional areas, which are updated and
tested periodically. Therefore, the risk governance and framework defines the risk
management approach across the enterprise at various levels including risk documentation
testing and reporting on a periodical basis. The framework has different risk parameters,
which help in identification of risks and their classification as High, Medium and Low
categories based on likelihood, impact and velocity in various risk types such as
operational, financial, compliance and reputation risk Qualitative and quantitative
assessment is done to determine the likelihood and impact of identified risks, which are
ultimately plotted on a matrix based on their severity and probability.
Reviews and reporting of risk environment and performance is conducted
on a quarterly basis. The testing and evaluation of control environment around Risk
Management is integrated and aligned with the quarterly internal audit process. The GRMC
of the Company and respective Risk Management Committee / Board of Directors of its key
operating subsidiaries reviews the risk management policy on a periodic basis. Further,
adequacy of design and operating effectiveness of key processes and controls, as
documented in the risk and control matrices, are tested and a consolidated dashboard of
Risk and Control review results across the Company and its key operating subsidiaries are
presented to the GRMC and Audit & Governance Committee of the Board on a quarterly
basis. Further, to enable oversight of the Risk management function prevalent at each of
the key operating subsidiaries, the management team of each key operating subsidiaries
make presentation on key risk types, as defined in the respective Risk Management Policy,
to the GRMC of the Company on a quarterly basis.
Financial reporting and fraud risks are duly considered in the risk
management framework. Risks are mapped with controls and Risk management framework is
revisited and revised based on prevailing practice and relevance.
Therefore, the Company has implemented a formal risk management policy
and framework to ensure that a comprehensive risk management process is in place at all
times, including appropriate board and senior management oversight and the process take
into account appropriate steps to comply with applicable regulatory rules, regulations,
principles and guidelines and to ensure the adequacy of relevant risk reporting to the
Committees and Board.
VIGIL MECHANISM/ WHISTLE BLOWER POLICY
The Company has a vigil mechanism named Whistle Blower Policy to deal
with instance of unethical practices, fraud and mismanagement, actual or suspected fraud
or violation of the Company's code of conduct or ethics policy and any leak/ suspected
leak of Unpublished Price Sensitive Information or gross misconduct by the employees of
the Company, if any, that can lead to financial loss or reputational risk to the
organization. The detail of the Whistle Blower Policy has been posted on the website of
the Company & can be accessed through the link https://religare.com/ policies/
During the year under review, no complaint pertaining to the Company
was received under the Whistle Blower mechanism.
INTERNAL FINANCIAL CONTROLS AND INTERNAL CONTROL
SYSTEM
The Company and its subsidiaries have Internal Control System,
commensurate with the size, scale and complexity of its operations. The Internal Controls
of the Company & its subsidiaries encompasses the policies, standard operating
procedure manuals, approval/authorization matrix, circulars/ guidelines, and risk &
control matrices for ensuring the orderly and efficient conduct of its business &
support functions, adherence to these policies & procedures, the safeguarding of its
assets, the prevention and detection of frauds and errors, the accuracy and completeness
of the accounting records and timely preparation of reliable financial information during
the process of financial reporting. The internal control system is supported by an
internal audit process for reviewing the adequacy and efficacy of the relevant internal
controls, including its systems, processes and compliance with applicable regulations and
procedures. Such detailed controls ensure productive and effective use of resources to the
extent that the assets are safe-guarded, transactions are duly approved, registered and
adequately reported and checks and balances ensure consistency and reliability of
accounting data.
Company is a registered NBFC (CIC) and is exposed to various risks as
stated in the Risk Management Policy of the Company and its key operating subsidiaries.
The Company and its subsidiaries have adequate control environment for identification,
assessment, monitoring, mitigation and reporting of applicable risks on a periodical basis
through an effective Risk Management Framework that has been developed encompassing all
the key business and support functions. Mitigation plans and controls are documented for
each identified risk in the form of policies & standard operating procedures and Risk
& Control Matrices (RCM). Risks/controls documented in the RCMs are mapped to each of
the financial statement line items (FSLI) and financial assertions to ensure availability
of mitigation plans and internal financial controls for each of the material balances
contained in the financial statements.
The Company has prepared separate RCMs for Process Level Controls (PLC)
and Entity Level Controls (ELC). Similarly, Information Technology controls relating to
Information Security, Cyber Security and Other Information Technology General Controls
(ITGC) have also been identified, assessed and documented, which are updated periodically.
The Company and its key operating subsidiaries have a robust mechanism
to ensure an ongoing review of systems, policies, processes and procedures to contain and
mitigate risk that arise from time to time. The Company and its key operating subsidiaries
have satisfactory system of periodical monitoring and reporting of internal financial
controls. Key policies and procedures including the RCMs designed to provide reasonable
assurance are monitored and updated on a periodical basis. Management ensures that
controls as designed are operating effectively and that lapses are identified and remedied
in a timely manner. The monitoring activities are carried out through Control
Self-Assessment (CSA) mechanism integrated with the internal audit function, whereby key
risks and controls are reviewed on a quarterly basis and dashboard containing results of
evaluation of Test of Design (TOD) and Test of Operating Effectiveness (TOE) relating to
the Company and its key operating subsidiaries are presented to the Audit and Governance
Committee of the Company. A quarterly consolidated report on TOD/TOE testing relating to
the Company and its key operating subsidiaries is presented to the Group Risk Management
Committee (GRMC) of the Company.
The Company and its key operating subsidiaries have an elaborate
quarterly internal audit policy and framework as approved by the respective Audit &
Governance Committees of the Board. The scope, authority and structure of the Internal
Audit function has been defined in the comprehensive Internal Audit Policy. The Company
has designated Internal Auditor appointed as per Section 138 of the Act. The Company also
conducts Information System and Cyber Security Audit on a yearly basis and the report is
presented to the Audit and Governance Committee of the Board. Information System Security
controls enable the Company to keep a check on technology-related risks and also improve
business efficiency and distribution capabilities.
The Internal Audit Team evaluates the efficacy and adequacy of the
internal control system and internal financial controls in the Company, its compliance
with operating systems, accounting procedures, policies and regulatory requirements at key
locations of the Company. Based on the integrated report of internal audit function and
IFC, process owners undertake corrective action in their respective areas and thereby
strengthen the internal controls. Significant internal audit observations (rated high and
medium risk) and corrective actions thereon, along with IFC dashboard, are presented to
the Audit and Governance Committee of the Board on periodical basis. The Internal Auditors
also assesses opportunities for improvement in business processes, systems and controls,
provides recommendations, designed to add value to the organization and follow up the
implementation of corrective actions and improvements in business processes after review
by the Audit and Governance Committee. The Audit and Governance Committee of the Board
reviews and evaluates adequacy and effectiveness of the Company's internal control
environment, provides their inputs, if any, to improve the quality of audit and assurance
standards and monitors the implementation of audit recommendations across the relevant
functional areas to continuously strengthen the internal control framework.
Therefore, the Board has laid down internal financial controls to be
followed by the Company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and were
operating effectively during the financial year.
CONFIRMATION UNDER FOREIGN EXCHANGE MANAGEMENT (NON-DEBT INSTRUMENTS)
RULES, 2019 ON DOWNSTREAM INVESTMENT
The Company is an Indian Owned and Controlled Company
("IOCC") as defined under the applicable FDI Regulations and therefore the terms
and conditions in relation to its downstream investments in Indian companies were not
applicable during the year ended March 31,2024.
DETAILS OF FRAUD REPORTABLE BY AUDITOR
During the year under review, neither the statutory auditors nor the
secretarial auditors of the Company has disclosed any instance of fraud committed against
the Company by its officers or employees required to be disclosed in terms of Section
143(12) of the Act.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Our employees are the driving force behind our success, and we are
committed towards creating a work environment that fosters growth, innovation, and
collaboration. Our diverse, professional and talented team is our greatest asset, and we
are dedicated to supporting their development and growth. The Group has solidified its
position and regained the trust of its stakeholders through the collective efforts of its
subsidiaries. Owing to the unwavering dedication, commitment, and loyalty of our
employees, the Company has navigated challenging times with resilience emerging as a
formidable player in the industry and establishing a strong reputation.
Developing our future leaders is crucial to driving long-term success.
Under the guidance of our of our highly experienced top leadership team, future leaders
are being nurtured within the organization through mentorship and coaching. This approach
is integral to our succession planning process, ensuring continuity and maintaining a
robust talent pipelines for critical roles. These efforts have helped us build a strong
bench of future leaders and reduce turnover among key positions.
We believe that investing in our employees is essential to driving
business results. We prioritize employee engagement and satisfaction, recognizing that a
happy and fulfilled team is vital to our success. We are committed to building a workplace
culture that is inclusive, equitable and reflective of the diverse communities we serve.
Our hiring process focuses on increasing diversity across our leadership teams. As a
company we are commiited towards ensuring the health, safety and well-being of our
employees and their family members through various initiatives, employee assistance
programs and wellness workshops. We strive to ensure that all our employees feel valued
and empowered to succeed.
DISCLOSURE UNDER THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT
THE WORK PLACE (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2013
The Company has in place Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace
Policy in line with the requirements of The Sexual Harassment of Women at the Work Place
(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and rules made thereunder. An Internal
Complaints Committee (ICC) is in place as per the requirements of the said Act to redress
complaints received regarding sexual harassment. All employees (permanent, contractual,
temporary, trainees) are covered under this policy. No case has been reported during the
year under review.
PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
The details required under Section 197(12) of the Act read with Rule
5(1) & 5(2) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel)
Rules, 2014, are annexed as "Annexure B" to this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH SECRETARIAL STANDARDS
The Board of Directors affirm that, the Company has complied with the
applicable Secretarial Standards issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India
(SS1 and SS2) respectively relating to Meetings of the Board, its Committees and the
General Meetings.
SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS PASSED BY THE
REGULATORS OR COURTS
There are no significant or material orders passed by the
Regulators/Courts which would impact the going concern status of the Company and its
operations in future except to the extent mentioned in this Report.
MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS AFFECTING THE
FINANCIAL POSITION
There are no material changes and commitments adversely affecting the
financial position of the Company which have occurred between the end of the financial
year of the Company to which the financial statements relate (i.e. March 31, 2024) and as
of date of the report i.e. December 04, 2024.
DETAIL OF APPLICATIONS / PROCEEDINGS UNDER INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY
CODE, 2016
An application under section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code,
2016 (Code) was filed by Ligare Aviation Limited on March 14, 2023 to initiate Corporate
Insolvency Resolution Proceedings against the Company in terms of an alleged corporate
guarantee provided by Religare Enterprises Limited for a loan granted by Ligare Aviation
Limited to Auriga Marketing Services Pvt. Ltd. However, the said petition was dismissed on
merits by the Hon'ble NCLT, Delhi on July 11, 2023.
DIFFERENCE IN VALUATION
The Company has not made any one time settlement with the banks /
financial institutions during the year under review.
OTHERS
- The Company has not defaulted in repayment of loans from banks and
financial institutions. There were no delays or defaults in payment of interest/principal
of any of its debt securities
- The equity shares of the Company were not suspended from trading
during the year on account of corporate actions or otherwise
- The Company has not issued during the period under review any equity
shares with differential rights as to dividend, voting or otherwise
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Your Directors would like to express their sincere appreciation for the
co-operation and assistance received from the Company's Bankers, Regulatory Bodies,
Stakeholders including Financial Institutions and other business associates who have
extended their valuable sustained support and encouragement during the year under review.
Your Directors also wish to place on record their deep sense of
gratitude and appreciation for the commitment displayed by all executives, officers and
staff at all levels of the Company during the year under review. The Directors would also
like to thank all shareholders for their continued faith in the Company and look forward
to your continued support in the future.
|
By order of the Board of Directors For
Religare Enterprises Limited |
|
Dr. Rashmi Saluja |
Place: New Delhi |
Executive Chairperson |
Date: December 04, 2024 |
DIN: 01715298 |