Q.1 What Is a Global Depositary Receipt?
A global depositary receipt (GDR) is a bank certificate issued in more than one country for shares in a foreign company.
Understanding Global Depositary Receipt
A global depositary receipt (GDR) is very similar to an American depositary receipt (ADR). It is a type of bank certificate that represents shares in a foreign company, such that a foreign branch of an international bank then holds the shares. The shares themselves trade as domestic shares, but, globally, various bank branches offer the shares for sale. Private markets use GDRs to raise capital denominated in either U.S. dollars or euros. When private markets attempt to obtain euros instead of U.S. dollars, GDRs are referred to as EDRs.
Investors trade GDRs in multiple markets, which they generally refer to as capital markets as they are considered to be negotiable certificates. Investors use capital markets to facilitate the trade of long-term debt instruments and for the purpose of generating capital. GDR transactions in the international market tend to have lower associated costs than some other mechanisms that investors use to trade in foreign securities.
A company may, after passing a special resolution in its general meeting, issue depository receipts in any foreign country in such manner, and subject to such conditions
Q.2 What are the Conditions for Issue of Depository Receipts?
(1) The Board of Directors of the company intending to issue depository receipts shall pass a resolution authorising the company to do so.
(2) The company shall take prior approval of its shareholders by a special resolution to be passed at a general meeting:
Provided that a special resolution passed under section 62 for issue of shares underlying the depository receipts, shall be deemed to be a special resolution for the purpose of section 41 as well.
(3) The depository receipts shall be issued by an overseas depository bank appointed by the company and the underlying shares shall be kept in the custody of a domestic custodian bank.
(4) The company shall ensure that all the applicable provisions of the Scheme and the rules or regulations or guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India are complied with before and after the issue of depository receipts.
(5) The company shall appoint a merchant banker or a practising chartered accountant or a practising cost accountant or a practising company secretary to oversee all the compliances relating to issue of depository receipts and the compliance report taken from such merchant banker or practising chartered accountant or practising cost accountant or practising company secretary, as the case may be, shall be placed at the meeting of the Board of Directors of the company or of the committee of the Board of directors authorised by the Board in this regard to be held immediately after closure of all formalities of the issue of depository receipts:
Provided that the committee of the Board of directors referred to above shall have at least one independent director in case the company is required to have independent directors.
Disclaimer: The Article is based on the Relevant Provisions and as per the information existing at the time of the preparation. In no event I shall be liable for any direct and indirect result from this Article. This is only a knowledge sharing initiative.
The Author – CS Deepak Seth (Associate Partner at Helpinghands Professionals LLP) and can be reached at [email protected] or 9910248911.
Author Bio
