Introduction
The Companies Act, 2013 is a law that helps manage how companies in India are formed, run, and regulated. Since it came into effect, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs ("MCA") has made several changes to it to keep up with the changing needs of businesses and to make rules easier to follow.
The most recent amendments aim to make it simpler for companies to do business, improve transparency, and ensure that companies follow good governance practices. These changes also help protect investors and make sure that companies are more responsible in how they work.
In this article, we will look at the latest updates to the Companies Act, 2013 in May 2025 and June 2025.
I. Migration of e-Forms from Version 2 to Version 3 Portal
In a major push towards digitization and structured data management, MCA has transferred several e-Forms from the Version 2 (V2) portal to the Version 3 (V3) portal. The following forms have been migrated:
| S. No. | E-Forms | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | AOC-1 | Statement containing salient features of the financial statement of Subsidiaries/ associate companies/ joint ventures |
| 2. | AOC-2 | Disclosure of particulars of contracts/arrangements entered into by the company with related parties referred to in sub-section (1) of section 188 of the Companies Act, 2013 including certain arm's length transactions under fourth proviso thereto |
| 3. | AOC-4 | Filing of financial statements and other documents with the Registrar |
| 4. | AOC-4 CFS | Filing of consolidated financial statements and other documents with the Registrar |
| 5. | AOC-4 NBFC (Ind AS) | Filing of financial statement and other documents with the Registrar (*Applicable on NBFC'S) |
| 6. | AOC-4 CFS NBFC (Ind AS) | Filing of consolidated financial statements and other documents with the Registrar (*Applicable on NBFC'S) |
| 7. | MGT-7 | Annual Return (other than OPCs and Small Companies) |
| 8. | MGT-7A | Abridged Annual Return for OPCs and Small Companies |
| 9. | MGT-15 | Report on the Annual General Meeting |
| 10. | ADT-1 | Notice to the Registrar by company for appointment of auditor |
| 11. | ADT-2 | Application for removal of auditor(s) from his/their office before expiry of term |
| 12. | ADT-3 | Notice of resignation by the auditor |
| 13. | ADT-4 | Report to the Central Government |
| 14. | GNL-1 | Filing of applications with the Registrar of Companies |
| 15. | CRA-2 | Intimation of appointment of cost auditor to the Central Government |
II. MCA amend the following rules by introducing amendment rules 2025:
The following rules have been amended through various notifications issued in May and June 2025:
- Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014
- Companies (Management and Administration) Rules 2014
- Companies (Audit and Auditor) Rules, 2014
- Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Rules, 2014
- Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014
- Companies (Filing of Documents and Forms in Extensible Business Reporting Language) Rules, 2015
Let's break down these amendments step by step:
1. Companies (Accounts) Amendment Rules, 2025 (Notification dated May 19, 2025)
Extended CSR-2 Filing Deadline: The MCA has further extended the deadline for filing e-Form CSR-2 for the financial year 2023–24. Initially, the filing deadline was December 31, 2024, but pursuant to Companies (Accounts) Second Amendment Rules, 2024, MCA has amended the timeline to March 31, 2025, and now by introducing Companies (Accounts) Amendment Rules, 2025 it has now been further extended to June 30, 2025.
2. Companies (Accounts) Second Amendment Rules, 2025 (Notification dated May 30, 2025)
- Enhanced Disclosures in the Board Report
- Reporting on Sexual Harassment Complaints: In clause (x) of sub rule (5) of rule 8 of Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 (this "Rules"), the disclosures pertaining to Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013, the Companies now need to provide more detailed disclosures including:
-
- Number of complaints of sexual harassment received in the year;
- Number of complaints disposed off during the year; and
- number of cases pending for more than ninety days.
- Reporting on Maternity Belief Act, 1961: After clause (xii) of sub rule (5) of rule 8 of this Rules, a new clause (xiii) is inserted requiring a statement by the company with respect to compliance with the provisions relating to Maternity Belief Act, 1961.
- Introduction of new e-Forms for key
extracts:
After sub rule (1B) of rule (12) of this Rules, sub rule (1C) is inserted, which requires filing of following e-Forms along with other relevant primary financial statement e-Forms:
- Extract of Board Report
- Extract of Auditor's Report (Standalone)
- Extract of Auditor's Report (Consolidated)
- MCA migrated the forms from Version 2 (V2) portal to
Version 3 (V3) portal:
In view of making data and filings more structured and digitalized, MCA transfers the e-Form no. AOC-1, AOC-2, AOC-4, AOC-4 CFS, AOC-4 NBFC (Ind AS), AOC-4 CFS NBFC (Ind AS) from V2 portal to V3 portal. Additionally, three new e-Forms have been introduced for more efficient analysis by authorities, namely the extract of the board report, extract of the auditor's report (both standalone and consolidated).
3. Companies (Management and Administration) Amendment Rules 2025 (Notification dated May 30, 2025)
MCA transfers e-Form no. MGT-7, MGT-7A, MGT-15 from V2 portal to V3 portal through these rules.
4. Companies (Audit and Auditor) Amendment Rules, 2025 (Notification dated May 30, 2025)
Via these rules, MCA transfers the e-Form no. ADT-1, ADT-2, ADT-3, ADT-4 from V2 portal to V3 portal.
5. Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Amendment Rules, 2025 (Notification dated May 30, 2025)
MCA transfers the e-Form no. CRA-2 from V2 portal to V3 portal through these rules.
6. Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Amendment Rules, 2025 (Notification dated May 30, 2025)
Through these rules, MCA transfers e-Form no. GNL-1 from V2 portal to V3 portal
7. Companies (Filing of Documents and Forms in Extensible Business Reporting Language) Amendment Rules, 2025 (Notification dated June 06, 2025)
The MCA has inserted sub rule (1A) after rule (1) in rule 3 of Companies (Filing of Documents and Forms in Extensible Business Reporting Language) Rules, 2015 which requires the companies to attach copy of signed financial statements duly authenticated in pdf format in e-Form AOC-4 XBRL.
Conclusion:
The introduction of more detailed disclosures in board report, introduction of various e-Forms and transfer of company-related forms from the V2 to the V3 portal under the Companies Act, 2013 is a significant step towards modernizing corporate compliance in India. These amendments are aimed at improving efficiency, enhancing user experience, and ensuring faster processing of forms through a more advanced and user-friendly digital platform. While companies and professionals may face initial challenges in adapting to the new system, the long-term benefits of transparency, ease of filing, and reduced delays are expected to outweigh the short-term difficulties. Overall, this change reflects the government's commitment to digital transformation and ease of doing business in the corporate sector.
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