The ‘company’ as a business form was introduced in India with the enactment of the Joint Stock Companies Act in 1850. In the present times, while conventional business structures (such as partnerships) remain popular in India, many business enterprises in India are set up as companies. Corporate law is concerned with the regulation of matters which are intimately associated with the life-cycle of a company and cover issues such as formation, funding, governance, and dissolution of companies. Companies are also subject to a wide range of sector-specific laws.

Financial regulation deals with subjects such as regulation of capital markets, financial services, and allied areas. Appropriate regulation of financial markets is crucial for ensuring the availability of finance for businesses, protecting investors and consumers, and supporting economic growth.

Vidhi has been shaping the legal architecture of India’s corporate laws and financial regulation since its founding. It has advised a variety of government stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), the Reserve Bank of India, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office, on several areas in corporate law and financial regulation. 

Among other projects, Vidhi advised the MCA and the Company Law Committee (CLC) on proposing several reforms to the Companies Act, 2013 for facilitating ease of doing business, promoting transparency, and improving corporate governance standards in India.

Vidhi’s independent work under this theme has shaped policy discussions in several areas, including corporate governance, regulation of credit rating agencies, co-operative banking, and crowdfunding of start-ups.