Every board looks good on paper. Impressive resumes, recognisable names, the right mix of former CEOs and industry veterans. And yet, plenty of these boards still underperform quietly for years before anyone notices. So what actually separates a high-performing board from one that simply looks the part? This is a question I get asked constantly, usually by promoters building their first formal board, or by CXOs trying to understand what they’re walking into when they take a b

If you sit on a board, advise one, or are hoping to sit on one someday, you’ve probably heard some version of this sentence lately: “There’s a new corporate governance bill, and it’s going to change how boards operate.” True. But most of what’s floating around is either too legal to be useful or too vague to act on. So let’s fix that. This piece walks through what the corporate governance bill amendments actually say, why they exist, and — more importantly — what they mean fo

Executive Summary The IndusInd Bank whistleblower allegations are not really a story about a rogue trade or one bad quarter. They are a story about timing. A bank knew, or had very good reason to know, that something was wrong with its books long before it told anyone. By the time it spoke up, the damage was done and a regulator had to push it into the open. Now, in mid-2026, a fresh whistleblower complaint has landed with the Prime Minister's Office and four regulators, alle

Here's something that doesn't get said often enough in corporate governance circles: the proxy season is no longer a quiet, procedural ritual that the legal team handles in the background while the rest of the company gets on with actual business. It hasn't been that for a while now. But in 2026, the stakes feel different. The room feels different. Shareholders are showing up with sharper questions, better data, and in some cases, a genuine appetite to make noise. Activist in

Directors and Officers Insurance (D&O Insurance) has evolved from being a simple financial safeguard to becoming a fundamental pillar of modern corporate governance. As ESG expectations, BRSR compliance requirements, and sustainability-related risks continue to grow in India, directors and officers are facing greater personal accountability for the decisions they make in the boardroom. For decades, environmental and social challenges were often viewed as operational issues ha

Picture this. You're a shareholder of a listed company. The person who runs the business day to day — sets the strategy, manages the team, controls what information flows to the board — is also the person chairing the very board that is supposed to hold them accountable. Who, exactly, is watching whom? That is the heart of the CEO duality corporate governance debate. It's been running for decades. Not because the governance logic is unclear — it isn't — but because the answer

A new cohort of senior executives is stepping decisively into board-level governance and strategic leadership roles across India, the Middle East, and beyond. Their appointments, spanning independent directorships, vice chairmanships, executive directorships, and advisory mandates, reflect a sustained shift in how India's boardrooms are being constituted. Through its Director's Institute Data Bank and Board Search, World Development Corporation’s Directors' Institute – World

Nair’s appointment reflects rising demand for trained and experienced independent directors The appointment of Ajit Nair as an Independent Director at Nityas Gems and Jewellery Limited points to a wider pattern taking shape in Indian boardrooms — one where senior professionals with deep operational credentials are increasingly stepping into formal governance positions. The appointment was recognised by World Development Corporation’s Directors’ Institute – World Council of Di

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