Companies Act · Buy-back

Buy-Back of Shares Under Section 68: Private Company Controls

Finin2min Compliance Desk·June 2026·7 min readBUY-BACK

Buy-back is not simply a founder exit payment. Section 68 controls sources, authorisation, approvals, limits, solvency and post-buy-back extinguishment of securities.

Section 68 base

Section 68 covers power of company to purchase its own shares or other specified securities. It includes source-of-funds conditions and states that buy-back shall not be made out of proceeds of an earlier issue of the same kind of shares or securities.

Buy-back control table

ControlEvidence
Articles authorisationCheck buy-back power in Articles.
Board/special resolution routeDetermine approval threshold and route.
Solvency declaration/supportPrepare finance and board evidence.
Offer/payment recordsTrack shareholder communication and payment.
Extinguishment/destructionSection 68 requires extinguishment and physical destruction within the specified period after completion.

Finance checks

Finin2min warning

Buy-back is a capital action, not a vendor payment. Treat it as board/shareholder, finance, tax and secretarial project.
💼
Build your Companies Act evidence fileKeep approvals, registers, certificates, SRNs, challans and cap table support in one transaction-wise folder.
Explore Compliance Guides →

Official sources used

This article is intentionally source-limited to official India Code / MCA material. Verify final filing positions with the latest Act, Rules, MCA forms and portal advisories before publishing.

FAQs

Which section covers buy-back?

Section 68 covers power of company to purchase its own shares or specified securities.

Can buy-back be funded from same-kind earlier issue proceeds?

Section 68 contains a restriction on buy-back out of proceeds of earlier issue of the same kind of shares/securities.

What happens after buy-back completion?

Section 68 requires extinguishment and physical destruction of bought-back securities within the specified timeline.