Issue of shares under Employees Stock Options Scheme and/or sweat equity shares to persons resident outside India

RBI:

The Reserve Bank of India has issued circular on "Issue of shares under Employees Stock Options Scheme and/or sweat equity shares to persons resident outside India."

Issue of shares under Employees Stock Options Scheme and/or sweat equity shares to persons resident outside India

Attention of Authorised Dealer Category – I (AD Category-I) banks is invited to Regulation 8 of the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) Regulations, 2000, notified by the Reserve Bank vide Notification No. FEMA. 20/2000-RB dated 3rd May 2000, as amended from time to time.

2. In terms of the extant instructions, an Indian company can issue shares under Employees’ Stock Option (ESOP) Scheme, by whatever name called, to its employees or employees of its Joint venture or Wholly owned overseas subsidiary/subsidiaries who are resident outside India, directly or through a Trust, provided that the scheme has been drawn in terms of regulations issued under the SEBI Act, 1992 and face value of the shares to be allotted under the scheme to non-resident employees does not exceed 5 per cent of the paid up capital of the issuing company. The Trust or Indian company has to ensure compliance with the above conditions and comply with the reporting requirement.

3. On a review, it has been decided that an Indian Company may issue “employees’ stock option” and/or “sweat equity shares” to its employees/directors or employees/directors of its holding company or joint venture or wholly owned overseas subsidiary/subsidiaries who are resident outside India, provided that :

1. The scheme has been drawn either in terms of regulations issued under the Securities Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 or the Companies (Share Capital and Debentures) Rules, 2014 notified by the Central Government under the Companies Act 2013, as the case may be.
2. The “employee’s stock option”/ “sweat equity shares” issued to non-resident employees/directors under the applicable rules/regulations are in compliance with the sectoral cap applicable to the said company.
3. Issue of “employee’s stock option”/ “sweat equity shares” in a company where foreign investment is under the approval route shall require prior approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) of Government of India.
4. Issue of “employee’s stock option”/ “sweat equity shares” under the applicable rules/regulations to an employee/director who is a citizen of Bangladesh/Pakistan shall require prior approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) of Government of India.

4. The issuing Company shall furnish to the Regional Office concerned of the Reserve Bank of India under whose jurisdiction the registered office of the company operates, within 30 days from the date of issue of employees’ stock option or sweat equity shares, a return as per the Form-ESOP (given as Annex to enclosed this circular).

5. Authorised Dealer banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their constituents /customers concerned.

6. Reserve Bank has since amended the Principal Regulations through the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2015 notified through Notification No. FEMA.344/2015-RB dated June 11, 2015, vide G.S.R. No. 484 (E) dated June 11, 2015.

7. The directions contained in this circular have been issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to permissions / approvals, if any, required under any other law.