Securities And Exchange Board Of India (Venture Capital Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2000. - S.O. No.831(E) - SEBI/LE/14840/2000 - SEBI

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA NOTIFICATION Mumbai, the 15th September, 2000 S.O. 831(E).- In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992), the Securities and Exchange Board of India hereby makes the following regulations namely:- I (i) These regulations may be called the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Venture Capital Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 2000. (ii) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. II In Securities and Exchange Board of India (Venture Capital Funds) Regulations, 1996,:- 1. In regulation 2, (a) after clause (a), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:- (aa) Associate in relation to venture capital fund means a person, - (i) who, directly or indirectly, by himself, or in combination with relatives, exercises control over the venture capital fund; or (ii) in respect of whom the venture capital fund, directly or indirectly, by itself, or in combination with other persons, exercises control; or (iii) whose director, is also a director, of the venture capital fund. (b) after clause (e), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:- (ee) equity linked instruments includes instruments convertible into equity shares or share warrants, preference shares, debentures compulsorily convertible into equity. (c) clause (g) shall be omitted. (d) for clause (h), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:- (h) inspecting or investigating officer means an inspecting or investigation officer appointed by the Board under regulation 25. (e) after clause (h) the following clause shall be inserted namely:- (hh) investible funds means corpus of the fund net of expenditure for administration and management of the fund. (f) for clause (j) the following clause shall be substituted, namely:- (j) negative list means a list of items specified in Third Schedule. (g) for clause (I) the following clause shall be substituted, namely:- (1) unit means beneficial interest of the investors in the scheme or fund floated by trust or any other securities issued by a company including a body corporate. (h) for clause (m) the following clause shall be substituted, namely; (m) venture capital fund means a fund established in the form of a trust or a company including a body corporate and registered under these regulations which- (i) has a dedicated pool of capital, (ii) raised in a manner specified in the regulations, and (iii) invests in venture capital undertaking in accordance with the regulations. (i) after clause (m), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:- (n) venture capital undertaking means a domestic company - (i) whose shares are not listed on a recognised stock exchange in India; (ii) which is engaged in the business for providing services, production or manufacture of article or things or does not include such activities or sectors which are specified in the negative list by the Board with the approval of the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette in this behalf. 2. In regulation 3, (a) in sub-regulation (1), after the words or trust the words or a body corporate shall be inserted. (b) in sub-regulation (2), after the words or trust the words or a body corporate shall be inserted. (c) in sub-regulation (4), after the words or trust the words or a body corporate shall be inserted. 3. In Regulation 4, (a) In clause (d), for the words a company or trust the words the applicant shall be substituted 4. In regulation 8, in clause (a), the words the Government of India Guidelines shall be omitted. 5. In regulation 10, sub-regulation (2), after the words company or trust , the words or a body corporate shall be inserted. 6. In regulation 11- (a) in sub-regulation (1), after the words non resident Indians the words by way of issue of units shall be inserted. (b) in sub-regulation (2) - (i) for clause (b) the following clause shall be substituted, namely:- (b) the employees of the fund manager or asset management company, (ii) clause (c) shall be omitted. (c) after sub-regulation (2), the following sub-regulation shall be inserted, namely:- (3) Each scheme launched or fund set up by a venture capital fund shall have firm commitment from the investors for contribution of an amount of atleast Rupees five crores before the start of operations by the venture capital fund. 7. Regulation 12 shall be substituted by the following regulation, namely:- Investment conditions and restrictions 12. All investment made or to be made by a venture capital fund shall be subject to the following conditions, namely:- (a) venture capital fund shall disclose the investment strategy at the time of application for registration; (b) venture capital fund shall not invest more than 25% corpus of the fund in one venture capital undertaking; (c) shall not invest in the associated companies; and (d) venture capital fund shall make investment in the venture capital undertaking as enumerated below: (i) atleast 75% of the investible funds shall be invested in unlisted equity shares or equity linked instruments. Provided that if the venture capital fund seeks to avail of benefits under the relevant provisions of the Income Tax Act applicable to a venture capital fund, it shall be required to disinvest from such investments within a period of one year from the date on which the shares of the venture capital undertaking are listed in a recognised Stock Exchange. (ii) Not more than 25% of the investible funds may be invested by way of: (a) subscription to initial public offer of a venture capital undertaking whose shares are proposed to be listed subject to lock-in period of one year; (b) debt or debt instrument of a venture capital undertaking in which the venture capital fund has already made an investment by way of equity. 8. In regulation 15, after the words venture capital fund and before the words through private placement , the words only shall be inserted. 9. In regulation 16, shall be substituted by the following regulation, namely:- Placement memorandum or subscription agreement 16(1) The venture capital fund shall - (a) issue a placement memorandum which shall contain details of the terms and conditions subject to which monies are proposed to be raised from investors; or (b) enter into contribution or subscription agreement with the investors which shall specify the terms and conditions subject to which monies are proposed to be raised. (2) The Venture Capital Fund shall file with the Board for information, the copy of the placement memorandum or the copy of the contribution or subscription agreement entered with the investors along with a report of money actually collected from the investor. 10. In regulation 17, (a) (i) in sub-regulation (1), after the words placement memorandum and before the words referred to the words or the subscription agreement with investors shall be inserted. (ii) in clause (a), after the words trustee company and before the words of the venture capital fund the words and the directors or chief executives shall be inserted. (iii) for clause (b) the following clause shall be substituted, namely:- (b) (i) the proposed corpus of the fund and the minimum amount to be raised for the fund to be operational. (ii) the minimum amount to be raised for each scheme and the provision for refund of monies to investor in the event of non receipt of minimum amount. (iv) for clause (c) the following clause shall be substituted namely:- (c) details of entitlements on the securities including units of venture capital fund for which subscription is being sought. (v) In clause (e) for the words of the trust the words or securities of the Venture Capital Fund shall be substituted. (vi) In clause (f) for the word scheme the word fund shall be substituted. (vii) In clause (g) for the words scheme is the words fund shall shall be substituted. (viii) the clause (i) shall be substituted by the following: (i) details of the fund manager or asset management company if any, and the fees to be paid to such manager. (ix) after clause (i) the following clauses shall be inserted, namely:- (j) The details about performance of the fund, if any, managed by the Fund Manager (k) investment strategy of the fund. (l) any other information specified by the Board . (b) sub-regulation (2) shall be omitted. 11. regulation 18 shall be omitted. 12. regulation 19 shall be omitted. 13. in regulation 20, in sub-regulation (1), for the word ten the word eight. shall be substituted. 14. In regulation 21, in sub-regulation (2) for the words to the Board within fifteen days the words within the time specified by the Board shall be substituted. 15. in regulation 23, - (a) after sub-regulation (2) the following sub-regulation shall be inserted, namely:- (2A) A venture capital fund set up as a body corporate shall be wound up in accordance with the provisions of the statute under which it is constituted. (b) sub-regulation (3) shall be substituted by the following sub-regulation, namely:- (3) The trustees or trustee company of the venture capital fund set up as a trust or the Board of Directors in the case of the venture capital fund is set up as a company (including body corporate) shall intimate the Board and investors of the circumstances leading to the winding up of the Fund or Scheme under sub-regulation (1). 16. In regulation 25, in sub-regulation (1), after the words The Board may , the following words shall be inserted, namely, suo-moto or upon receipt of information or complaint. 17. regulation 27 shall be substituted by the following regulation, namely: Obligation of venture capital fund on inspection or investigation 27. (1) It shall be the duty of every officer of the Venture Capital Fund in respect of whom an inspection or investigation has been ordered under the regulation 25 and any other associate person who is in possession of relevant information pertaining to conduct and affairs of such Venture Capital Fund including fund manager or asset management company, if any, to produce to the Investigating or Inspecting Officer such books, accounts and other documents in his custody or control and furnish him with such statements and information as the said Officer may require for the purposes of the investigation or inspection. (2) It shall be the duty of every officer of the Venture Capital Fund and any other associate person who is in possession of relevant information pertaining to conduct and affairs of the Venture Capital Fund to give to the Inspecting or Investigating Officer all such assistance and shall extend all such co-operation as may be required in connection with the inspection or investigations and shall furnish such information sought by the inspecting or investigating officer in connection with the inspection or investigation. (3) The Investigating or Inspecting Officer shall, for the purposes of inspection or investigation, have power to examine on oath and record the statement of any employees, directors or person responsible for or connected with the activities of venture capital fund or any other associate person having relevant information pertaining to such Venture Capital Fund. (4) The Inspecting or Investigating Officer shall, for the purposes of inspection or investigation, have power to obtain authenticated copies of documents, books, accounts of Venture Capital Fund, from any person having control or custody of such documents, books or accounts. 18. In regulation 29, after sub-regulation (2), the following sub-regulation shall be inserted:- (3) The Board may after consideration of the investigation or inspection report and after giving reasonable opportunity of hearing to the venture capital fund or its trustees, directors issue such direction as it deems fit in the interest of securities market or the investors including directors in the nature of:- (a) requiring a venture capital fund not to launch new schemes or raise money from investors for a particular period; (b) prohibiting the person concerned from disposing of any of the properties of the fund or scheme acquired in violation of these regulations; (c) requiring the person connected to dispose of the assets of the fund or scheme in a manner as may be specified in the directions; (d) requiring the person concerned to refund any money or the assets to the concerned investors along with the requisite interest or otherwise, collected under the scheme; (e) prohibiting the person concerned from operating in the capital market or from accessing the capital market for a specified period. 19. In regulation 30, before the words The Board may suspend the following words shall be inserted, namely:- Without prejudice to issue of directions or measure under regulation 29, 20. In regulation 34, in sub-regulation (1), after the words action as proposed by enquiry officer the following words shall be inserted, namely:- or such appropriate action . 21. After regulation 36, the following regulations shall be inserted, namely:- Action against intermediaries 37. The Board may initiate action for suspension or cancellation of registration of an intermediary holding a certificate of registration under section 12 of the Act who fails to exercise due diligence in the performance of its functions or fails to comply with its obligations under these regulations. Provided that no such certificate of registration shall be suspended or cancelled unless the procedure specified in the regulations applicable to such intermediary is complied with. Appeal to the Central Government 38. Any person aggrieved by an order of the Board under these regulations may prefer an appeal to the Securities Appellate Tribunal in accordance with section 15T of the Act. 22. After Second Schedule, the following schedule shall be inserted, namely:- THIRD SCHEDULE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA (VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDS) REGULATIONS, 1996 [See reg. 2(3)] Negative List 1. Real Estate 2. Non-banking financial services 3. Gold Financing 4. Activities not permitted under industrial policy of Government of India. 5. Any other activity which may be specified by the Board in consultation with Government of India from time to time. [F.No. SEBI/LE/14840/2000] D. R MEHTA, Chairman Footnote: 1. The principal regulations Securities and Exchange Board of India (Venture Capital Funds) Regulations, 1996 was published in the Official Gazette of India on 4th December 1996 vide S.O. No. 850(E). 2. The regulations was subsequently amended by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Venture Capital Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998 on January 5 1998 vide S.O. No. 19(E). 3. The regulations was subsequently amended by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Venture Capital Funds) (Amendment) Regulations, 1999 on November 17 1999 vide S.O. No. 1118(E).