Abstract
Companies play an important part in today's world, specifically listed companies. These corporations have an impact not only on their shareholders, but also on a variety of stakeholders, ranging from customers to environmentalists. Corporate governance is perceived as an essential element for the sustenance of such large listed companies in present times, One of the main concerns of the Indian Companies Act 2013 is to strengthen corporate governance. The new concepts of the inclusion of women directors and independent directors in the composition of the boards of directors of companies have been introduced. These concepts were not developed in India. It can be fairly said that the inclusion of these provisions was influenced by the developments in the UK's corporate governance, specifically the Cadbury Report in 1992. By relating evidence from research studies, it is found that the present legislation about independence and gender diversification of boards does not strengthen the corporate governance of India and is ineffective; rather, these are frequently utilised as mere tokens. Some changes are required for efficient implementation. This thesis argues that, these concepts of corporate governance, bringing changes to the composition of the board of directors, must be reconsidered in the light of evolving trends supported by adequate empirical research. Also, the transplantation of the reforms should not be done without looking into the reason objectively for the introduction of a concept and considering the research studies related to it. As a result, companies will be encouraged to adopt the concepts by incorporating them into their culture for long-term benefit.
I am a Ph.D candidate at the Department of Law, Kingston University (London), studying the role and composition of board of directors in the corporate governance of the listed companies. It is a comparative study based on the corporate governance in the UK and India.
With more than a decade of diverse professional experience of practicing law, teaching and research, I endeavour to contribute to the research studies in corporate governance. I am a quick learner with strengths in interpersonal skills and an eye for perfection.
My specific fields of research interest lie in corporate governance, board of directors, corporate social responsibility, independence and gender diversification of boards.