Year-end review 2025: Corporate affairs ministry steps up reforms to ease compliance, governance

New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) in 2025 rolled out a series of reforms to simplify compliance, strengthen corporate governance and improve the ease of doing business.

One of the key measures during the year was the enhancement of the threshold limits for the classification of small companies.

Through a notification on December 1, 2025, the ministry has increased the paid-up share capital limit to Rs 10 crore and the turnover threshold to Rs 100 crore, significantly expanding the number of companies eligible for regulatory relaxations.

The MCA has also amended the Companies (Removal of Names of Companies from the Register of Companies) Rules, 2016, on December 31, to provide an easier procedure for the closure of government companies, according to a statement issued by the ministry.

Under the revised norms, the change allows indemnity bonds to be furnished by authorised representatives of the central or state governments, enabling faster removal of their names from the register under Section 248(2) of the Companies Act.

The ministry's year-end review also cited the launch of an integrated portal and a dedicated call centre by the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority.

The IEPFA portal was launched in August 2025 to enable faster claim settlement and enhanced investor support.

The portal integrates MCA-21, NSDL, CDSL and PFMS into a single automated workflow, reducing post-approval transfer time for shares and dividends from several months to 1-2 days. Since its launch, more than 27,000 claims have been approved in the current financial year so far.

Significant progress was also reported under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Till September 2025, a total of 1,300 resolution plans were approved, with creditors realising Rs 3.99 lakh crore, representing 170.09 per cent of liquidation value and nearly 94 per cent of fair value.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was introduced in Parliament on August 12, 2025, to reduce timelines, improve value maximisation, and strengthen governance, the statement said.

The year-end review also highlighted achievements under competition law, including antitrust enforcement, merger control and advocacy initiatives by the Competition Commission of India.

The review also covered progress under the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS), announced in the Union Budget 2024–25. The scheme aims to provide over one crore internships over five years.

The pilot phase, launched in October 2024, saw strong participation from youth, with 7.3 lakh candidates creating profiles across two rounds. A total of 1.65 lakh internship offers were extended, resulting in around 16,000 candidates joining internships.

Interns received a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 through the direct benefit transfer mechanism, along with a one-time grant of Rs 6,000 and social security coverage under the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana.

These initiatives were undertaken in 2025 to deepen the government's commitment to improve the business environment, strengthen investor confidence and position the country among the leading global destinations for ease of doing business, the review said. PTI HG HVA