Your Directors have pleasure in presenting the 33rd Annual Report on the business and operations of the Company together with the Audited Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2024.
financial highlights -
Financial Highlights of the Company for the Year under review are as under -
Particulars
|
Year ended 31st
|
Year ended 31st
|
|
March 2024
|
March 2023
|
|
(Rs. in 000's)
|
(Rs. in 000's)
|
Turnover
|
55,0616.91
|
61,0960.86
|
Profit/(Loss) before taxation
|
5,3712.69
|
4,7834.70
|
Income Tax Expense
|
1,3216.71
|
1,2286.40
|
Profit/(Loss) after tax
|
4,1507.10
|
3,5934.95
|
Transfer to General Reserve
|
4100.00
|
4100.00
|
Dividend on Equity Shares @ 10 percent (PY @ 5 percent)
|
1,1914.00
|
1,1914.00
|
Balance Carried to Balance Sheet2
|
2,5493.10
|
1,9920.95
|
STATE OF THE COMPANY’S AFFAIRS AND FUTURE
outlook -
Highlights of the Company’s performance for the year under review are as under (amounts in Rs.000’s)
• Revenue decreased by 9.88% to Rs. 55,0616.91
• Profit before taxes increased by 12.29% to Rs. 5,3712.69
• Profit after taxes (Net Profit) increased by 15.51% to Rs.4,1507.10
• Earnings Per Share increased by 15.23 percent to 3.48
Your Company has done exceedingly well compared to previous year in terms of profits in a year where revenue remained near to constant when compared to previous year. Net profit increased by 15.51% compared to previous year, which itself is quite encouraging. Your company continues to lay special focus on both the Business verticals - viz., the Commercial Industrial vertical (C/I) and the Retail vertical.
In the current financial year, your Company will put all efforts to look at large projects in the C/I vertical. Your company is in the process of appointing a CTO whose expertise will enable the Company to participate bids for large projects which will include ELV as well as IT / ITES requirements. In the Retail vertical we have laid emphasis to strengthening the sales and marketing of
RFID solutions. Three new products added during the year include
• Electronic Price Labels for Supermarkets / Hypermarkets.
• Digital Signage solution for Fashion Wear Chains.
• Smart Padlock for transportation and logistics usage.
RFID will continue to make further inroads.
DIVIDEND
Your Board of Directors at their meeting held on 24th May 2024, have recommended a Dividend of 10 percent (Rs. 1 per equity share of Rs. 10 each) on the 11913750 fully paid up equity shares. Subject to approval by Share Holders at the ensuing Annual General Meeting. If approved at the Annual General Meeting, this will result in a cash out flow of Rs.11913.75 (in 000’s) towards dividend payment. Your Directors recommend to approve the dividend payout.
As on 31st March 2024, an amount of Rs. 834.38 (in 000’s) is lying in the Unpaid Dividend Accounts with State Bank of India
towards the dividend declared and paid but not claimed for the financial years from 2016-17 to 2022-23 as per details given in the notes on accounts. Those Shareholders who have not uncashed their dividend warrants are requested to immediately approach the corporate office of the Company for revalidation/reissue of the dividend warrants after which the warrants may be presented for payment. The unclaimed dividend up to and including the
year 2015-16 has been transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (the Fund) set up by the Government of India and no payments shall be made in respect of any such claims by the Company. Shareholders may approach and claim such transferred amounts from the Funds by following prescribed procedure.
The Dividend payout for the year has been formulated keeping in mind the Company’s ability to pay sustainable dividends vis-a-vis the requirement of funds for running business and the long-term objectives which are to be met by internal cash accruals.
AMOUNTS TRANSFERRED TO RESERVES
The Board of Directors have decided to transfer an amount of Rs. 4100 (in 000’s) to General Reserve out of the profits generated by the Company.
CHANGES IN SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES
The Capital and Reserves of the Company as on 31st March 2024 stood at Rs. 48,6971 (000’s) as against that of Rs. 45,7378 (in 000’s) as on the corresponding day of the previous year.
general information
Your Directors also state that no disclosure or reporting is required in respect of the following items as there were no transactions on these items during the year under review
• Disclosure regarding Issue of Equity Shares with differential rights as stated in Rule 4(4) of Companies (Share Capital and Debenture Rules, 2014)
• Details relating to Deposits covered under Chapter Vof the Companies Act, 2013
• Disclosure regarding issue of Employee Stock Options as stated in Rule 12(9) of Companies (Share Capital and Debenture Rules, 2014)
• Disclosure regarding issue of Sweat Equity Shares as specified in Rule 8 (13) of Companies (Share Capital and Debenture Rules, Disclosure regarding issue of Sweat Equity Shares as specified in Rule 8 (13) of Companies (Share Capital and Debenture Rules, 2014)
• Receipt of Commission or Remuneration by the Managing Director or the Whole-time Directors of the Company from Subsidiaries, since the Company does not have any subsidiary.
• No significant or material order which impact the going concern status and Company’s operations in future were passed by the Regulators or Courts or Tribunals.
• Extract of Annual Return, in format MGT-9, for the Financial Year 2023-2024 is annexed to the Board’s report as Annexure B.
WORKING CAPITAL
The Company has been sanctioned Cash Credit facility to the tune of Rs. 150000(in 000’s) by M/s State Bank of India, SME
Branch-Trivandrum out of which an amount of Rs. 39120.79(in 000’s) has been availed as on 31st March 2024.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Detailed report on Corporate Governance along with certificate on Corporate Governance from Statutory Auditors is forming part of this Report.
The Company has complied with applicable Secretarial Standards issued by Institute of Company Secretaries of India with regard of conduct of meetings of Board Committees, Board of Directors and General Meeting of Shareholders.
MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS REPORT (MDAR)
The Management Discussion and Analysis Report for the year under review is forming part of this Report.
internal control systems and their
ADEQUACY
The details in respect of internal control systems and their adequacy are included in the Management Discussion and Analysis Report, which forms part of this report.
disclosure as per the sexual
HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2013
Your Company has 09 women employees in various cadres as on 31st March 2024. Your Company has zero tolerance towards sexual harassment at the work place. The Company has constituted an Internal Complaint Committee in line and in compliance with the requirements of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
Your Directors further state that during the year under review, there were no cases filed pursuant to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
DIRECTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Your Directors state that -
1. In the preparation of annual accounts for the year ended March 31, 2024, the applicable accounting standards read with requirements set out under Schedule III to the Companies Act 2013, have been followed and there are no material departures from the same;
2. The Directors have selected such accounting policies and have applied them consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company as
on March 31, 2024 and of the profit of the Company for the year ended on that date;
3. The Directors have taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
4. The Directors have prepared the annual accounts on a ‘going concern’ basis;
5. The Directors have laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and are operating effectively; and
6. The Directors have devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems are adequate and operating effectively.
BOARD MEETINGS -
During the Financial year 2023-24, 4 meetings of the Board of Directors were held on the following dates: 30th May 2023, 14thAugust 2023, 14th November 2023,and 14th February 2024.
Attendance of Directors at each meeting of Board of Directors are as follows:
|
|
Date of Meeting Name of Director
|
30 May 2023
|
14 Aug 2023
|
14 Nov 2023
|
14 Feb 2024
|
Total Number of Meetings Attended
|
M. R. Subramonian
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
4
|
M. R. Narayanan
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
4
|
M. R. Krishnan
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
4
|
N. Suresh
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
4
|
K. Manmathan Nair
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
4
|
P. K. Anandavally Ammal
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
4
|
Harikrishnan R Nair
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
4
|
Dr. Ayyappan. M
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
4
|
Suresh T Viswanathan
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
4
|
related PARTY - CONTRACTS AND ARRANGEMENTS
All contracts/arrangements/transactions with related parties entered into by the Company during the financial year were in the ordinary course of business and are on arm’s length. During the year, the Company had not entered into any contracts/ arrangements/transactions with related parties which could be considered material. All related party transactions were at arm’s length and in the ordinary course of business and conforming to the requirements of Companies Act, 2013.
Omnibus approval is taken from the Board of Directors and Audit Committee for approval of transactions which are of a repetitive nature. Details of contracts/arrangements/transactions with related parties entered into by the Company in Form AOC-2 as required under Section 134(3)(h) of the Companies Act, 2013, read with rule 8(2) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 is enclosed as Annexure -C.
The Policy for determining material related party transactions has been disclosed on the website of the Company, and can be accessed at https://adtechindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/
Policy-on-Related-Party-Transactions-2022-23.pdf.
loan, guarantee and investments under
SECTION 186
During the financial year 2023-24, the Company has renewed the inter corporate deposit with MPG Hotels and Infrastructure Ventures Private Limited for an amount of Rs 400 lakhs which carry an interest rate of 7 percent per annum payable monthly for a period of 6 months and for an amount of Rs. 100 lakhs which carry an interest percent of 9 percent per annum payable monthly for a period of one year.
The investment is made in the ordinary course of business with the view to investing surplus funds of the Company to get the maximum returns. Other than the above, the Company has not given any loans, guarantees or investments under Section 186 to any party during the period under review.
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY, ABSORPTION, FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The details of Energy, Technology, Absorption, Foreign Exchange Earnings and Outgo are as under:
A. Conservation of Energy.
The business of the Company is not power intensive, being an electronic equipment integration unit. Even then, the Company continues to accord high priority to conservation of Energy. Systems are in force to closely monitor energy usage.
B. Technology Absorption, Research & Development.
The Company has efficient R & D department which closely observes and suggests cost effective changes in components for integration of Access Control Systems.
C. Foreign exchange earnings and outgo.
Earnings in Foreign Currency
Head of Earnings
|
2023-24 in Rs 000’s
|
2022-23 in Rs 000’s
|
Export Sales
|
1216.51
|
8475.82
|
Sales Incentives on Direct orders placed oversees principals
|
2746.36
|
3043.81
|
i. Expenditure in Foreign Currency
Head of Expenditure
|
2023-24 in Rs 000’s
|
2022-23 in Rs 000’s
|
Foreign Travel Expenses
|
760.95
|
407.90
|
Import Purchases
|
13,6041.72
|
18,6432.21
|
employees and employee related disclosure;
In terms of the provisions of Section 197(12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 5(2) and 5 (3) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, there are no employees of the Company drawing remuneration in excess of the limits set out in the said rules. Disclosures pertaining to remuneration and other details as required under Section 197(12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 5(1) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, are provided in Annexure D.
policy for determining material subsidiary
The Policy for determining material subsidiaries, has been disclosed on the website of the Company and can be accessed at https://adtechindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Policy-for-determining-material-subsidiaries.pdf.
Your Company does not have any subsidiaries, joint ventures or associates and there are no details to be disclosed.
RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY
Your Company has constituted a Risk Management Committee comprising of the Managing Director, Executive Director, Company Secretary, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Marketing and which assists the Board of Directors in overseeing and approving the Company’s enterprise risk management framework and to be in a constant watch mode so as to identify all risks that the Organization faces viz. financial, strategic, market, liquidity, security, property, legal and regulatory. There is a constant process of management and reporting of principal risks and uncertainties in the Company.
By having transparent policies and system of reporting firmly in place, the elements of risks are identified at earlier stages which enables the Organization to control the effects. Risk management committee is fully in sync with the Audit Committee and with the Internal Control and Internal Audit teams with the aim of early identification of risks. The Board believes that effective control of internal activities and procedures will mitigate the chances of risks from within the organization which is achieved by laying of procedures and codes of conduct and by constant interaction with employees and other stake holders of the Company.
internal financial controls
The Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with reference to financial statements. During the financial year, such controls were tested and no material weakness in the design or operation were observed. Internal Auditors M/s Roy Varghese and Associates, a reputed audit team confirms that the activities are in compliance with the Companies policies and that no material deviations were detected. Internal Auditors review systems and operations of the Company and ensure that the Company is functioning within the limits of all applicable statutes. Any internal control weaknesses, non-compliance with statutes and suggestions on improvement of existing practices form part of internal audit report. The Audit committee reviews the internal audit report and compliance report and ensures that the observations pointed out in these reports are addressed in a timely and structured manner by the Management. The Internal Audit report is also reviewed by the Statutory Auditors.
vigil mechanism / whistle blower policy
The Company is committed to the highest standards of ethical, moral and legal conduct of business operations and in order to maintain these standards. The Company encourages its employees who have genuine concerns about suspected misconduct to come forward and express those concerns without fear of punishment or unfair treatment. The Company has a proper vigil mechanism and whistle blower policy in place pursuant to Section 177(9) and 177(10) of the Companies Act, 2013 and as per Regulation 4(2)(d)(iv) and 34(3) read with Para 10 of part C of Schedule V of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. The mechanism also provides for adequate safeguards against victimization of Directors and employees who avail the mechanism and also provides for direct access to the Chairman of the Audit Committee in special cases. The said policy is available in the website of the Company www.adtechindia. com
listing with stock exchanges
Equity Shares of your Company are listed with Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India Limited, Mumbai.
With effect from 19th June 2024, equity shares of your Company have been given listing and trading permission in BSE Limited, Mumbai. Scrip Code/ID assigned to your Company in BSE Ltd is 544185.
DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL
During the year under review, as per provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and the Articles of Association of the Company, Shri.
M.R. Narayanan, Non-Executive Director (DIN 00044926) of the Company, retires by rotation at the ensuing Annual General Meeting and being eligible, offers his candidature for reappointment as a Director. The Board of Directors at their meeting held on 14th August 2024 has proposed the re-appointment of Shri M. R. Narayanan at the ensuing Annual General Meeting of the Company.
The Board is of the opinion that Shri M.R. Narayanan possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, expertise and experience to contribute to the growth of the Company.
Shri. M.R.Narayanan has consented to and is not disqualified from being re-appointed as Director in terms of Section 164 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with applicable rules made thereunder. He is not debarred from holding the office of Director by virtue of any order issued by SEBI or any other such authority.
Profile and other information of Shri. M R Narayanan as required under Regulation 36 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations,2015 and Secretarial Standard -2 are given in the Notice of the 33rd AGM of the Company. The above proposal for re-appointment forms part of the Notice of the 33rd AGM and the relevant resolution is recommended for approval by the Members of the Company.
The Board of your Company consists of nine directors as on the date of this report as follows:
Name of Director
|
Category
|
Shri. M. R. Subramonian, Managing Director
|
Executive Directors
|
Shri. M. R. Krishnan, Executive Director
|
Shri. M. R Narayanan, Chairman
|
Non-Executive - Non Independent Director
|
Shri. N. Suresh
|
Non-Executive Independent Directors
|
Shri. K. Manmathan Nair
|
Smt. P. K. Anandavally Ammal
|
Dr. Ayyappan. M
|
Shri. Suresh T. Viswanathan
|
Dr. Harikrishnan R. Nair
|
All the Directors have rich experience and specialized knowledge in various areas of relevance to the Company. The Company is immensely benefitted by the range of experience and skills that the Directors bring to the Board. The composition of the Board is as per the Companies Act, 2013 and the SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirement) Regulations, 2015.
DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL -
Changes in Directors and Key Managerial Personnel during the year 2023-24:
The Company has received necessary declarations from all the six Independent Directors confirming that they meet the criteria of independence as prescribed both under the Companies Act, 2013 and under the SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure
Requirement) Regulations, 2015 with Stock Exchanges.
During the year under review, there has been no change in Key Managerial Personnel of the company. Following persons are the Key Managerial Persons of the Company as recorded by the Board:
1. Shri. M. R. Subramonian - Managing Director
2. Shri. S. Balamurali - Company Secretary &
Compliance Officer.
3. Shri. P. Vinaya Chand - Chief Financial Officer.
Pursuant to Section 149 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Companies (Appointment and Qualification of Directors) Rules, 2014 and applicable provisions of SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirement) Regulations, 2015 , following Non-Executive
Independent Directors have completed their second term of 5 years and their tenure as Non-Executive Independent Directors of the Company.
1. Shri N Suresh
2. Shri K Manmathan Nair
3. Smt P.K.Anandavally Ammal
Your Board of Directors places on record its appreciation for the vision, guidance and professional advice rendered by the retiring Directors during their 10 year tenure as Non-Executive Independent Directors of the Company.
WOMAN DIRECTOR -
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 149 of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation17 (1) of the SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirement) Regulations, 2015, the Company shall have at least one Woman Director on the Board and accordingly, your Board has Smt. P.K Anandavally Ammal as Woman Director who retires having completed 10 years of invaluable service to the Company. Your Board places on record, appreciation for the vision, guidance and professional advice rendered by Smt P K Anandavally Ammal during her 10 year tenure as Independent and Woman Director of the Company.
Based on the recommendation by the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, the Board has appointed Ms Suma Sankaran (DIN 10730509) as the Independent Woman Director for a period of 5 years with effect from 23rd September 2024, subject to approval by Shareholders at the 33rd Annual General Meeting. The Board recommends her appointment by the Shareholders at the 33rd AGM by way of Special Resolution.
declaration by independent director -
Declaration by Independent Director(s) and Re-Appointment, if any:
The Company has six Independent Directors on the Board. The Company has received declaration from each Independent Director of the Company under Section 149(7) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 16(1) (b) of SEBI (Listing Obligations
and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, on 14th August 2024 that they meet the criteria of independence as laid down in Section 149(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and subsequently the same was placed at the Board Meeting held on 14th August 2024. A declaration by the Managing Director confirming receipt of this declaration from Independent Directors is annexed to this report as Annexure A.
policy ON DIRECTOR’S APPOINTMENT -
The Company’s Policy on Director’s Appointment and other matters as provided under Section 178(1) and 178 (3) of the Companies Act, 2013 are as under -
The Company has formulated a familiarization programme for its Directors which gives proper guidance into the history of the Company, its promoters, performance of the Company over the previous years, products and services dealt with by the Company, its Auditors and the top management.
During the year 2023-24, the Company had conducted a refresher programme for its Independent Directors. The same has been posted on the website of the Company and can be accessed at Familiarization-Programme-of-Independent-
Directors-2023-24.pdf (adtechindia.com)
Policy for bringing diversity to the Board includes the following
1. Diversity is ensured through consideration of a number of factors including but not limited to skills, specialization and industry experience. Factors based on the business model and specific needs from time to time are also considered.
2. The Nomination and Remuneration Committee shall drive the process for Board appointment and for identifying and nominating, for approval of the Board, candidates for appointment to the Board.
3. Benefits of experience/knowledge in the areas relevant to the Company continue to influence succession planning and continue to be the key criteria for the search and nomination of Directors to the Board.
4. Board appointments are purely based on merit, having due regard to for the benefits of diversity on the Board.
NOMINATION AND REMUNERATION COMMITTEE &
policies
The Board had constituted a Nomination and Remuneration Committee on 14th August 2014 pursuant to the provisions of Section 178 of the Companies Act, 2013 and the SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirement) Regulations, 2015.
The Committee had met once during the financial year on 5th April 2023. All the committee members attended the meeting held on 5th April 2023.
The composition of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee is as under.
Name of the Members
|
Shri. Suresh Viswanathan
|
Chairman
|
Shri. M. R. Narayanan
|
Member
|
Shri. Harikrishnan R. Nair
|
Member
|
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 178 and 134 (3(e) and Rule 8 (4) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, Companies Act, 2013 and the SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirement) Regulations, 2015, the Committee was constituted with the following terms of reference.
- Formulation of criteria for determining qualifications, positive attributes and independence of a Director and recommend to the Board a policy, relating to remuneration of Directors, Key Managerial Personnel and other employees.
- Formulation of criteria for evaluation of Directors, Chairman, Managing Director and Executive Director, Board as a whole and various Committees of the Board. Based on the recommendations of the Committee, the said Policy on Nomination and Remuneration and Evaluation of Directors was adopted by the Board.
- Identifying persons who are qualified to become Directors and who may be appointed in Senior Management positions in accordance with the criteria laid down.
The Committee has adopted the following criteria for selection of Members on the Board of Directors of the Company and also the candidates eligible to be appointed in the Senior Management of the Company -
(i) Criteria for Selection of Directors
Before making a recommendation to the Board for appointment of any Director, the Committee shall ensure that
a) The candidate possesses appropriate skills experience and knowledge in one or more fields of managerial/ business/ administrative/ legal/ finance qualifications and experience over two decades;
b) The candidate shall be free from any disqualification as provided under Sections 164 and 167 of the Companies Act, 2013;
c) In the case of appointment of an Independent Director, the candidate meets the conditions of being independent as stipulated under Companies Act, 2013 and the SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirement) Regulations, 2015.
d) The candidate also complies with the “Fit and Proper” criteria as laid down by the policy of the Company.
(ii) Criteria for Selection of Senior Management Personnel
The term Senior Management shall have the same meaning as provided under the explanation to
Section178 of the Companies Act, 2013
The Committee shall, before making any recommendation to the Board for appointment, should ensure that the candidate has the attributes set forth below
(a) The candidate should have a minimum experience of 10 years in any of the areas viz. electronic security related, financial management, legal, sales, marketing, procurement, research, technical operations or such other areas which in the opinion of the Committee are relevant for the Company’s business; and
(b) The candidate should possess qualities that demonstrate leadership skills, effective communication skills, hard work, commitment and such other attributes which in the opinion of the Committee are in the interest of the Company.
The Committee makes its recommendation to the Board if it finds that a candidate meets the criteria for appointment.
The Board of Directors has carried out an annual evaluation of its own performance, its Committees and individual Directors pursuant to the provisions of Section 178(3) of the Companies Act, 2013. All the Directors have provided inputs to the questionnaire seeking information on criteria such as Board Composition and structure, Board Processes and procedures, effectiveness of the Board, etc.
The Board and Nomination and Remuneration Committee reviewed the performance of the individual Directors inter-alia, on the basis of understanding and knowledge of the market in which the Company is operating, ability to appreciate the working of the Company and the challenges it faces, attendance to meetings, extend of participation and involvement in the meetings and ability to convey one’s views and flexibility to work with others. The performance of the Committees was evaluated by the based on the composition of the Committees, effectiveness of the Committee meetings with respect to the terms of reference and conduct of the meetings and the procedures followed.
Separate meeting of Independent Directors was conducted during the year, to review the performance of the Board as a whole, performance of Non-Independent Director and Chairman and assess the quality, quantity, and timelines of flow of information from the Management to the Board of Directors.
REMUNERATION POLICY
The Committee has formulated policies on remuneration of Directors, KMP and other employees, features of the same are under -
Remuneration of Managing Director and Executive Director:
Committee takes into consideration the performance of the Company, the ability to lead the team, past remuneration, the comparative remuneration profile in the industry subject to the condition that overall remuneration shall be in accordance and within the limits stipulated under the Companies Act, 2013.
Remuneration to Non-Executive Directors:
Remuneration to Non-Executive Director is paid subject to the limits stipulated under the Companies Act, 2013 and based on level of participation in the affairs of the Company.
Remuneration to Independent Directors is restricted to sitting fees for attending meetings of the Board of Directors. The Company does not at present have a provision of stock options. Remuneration of Senior Management Personnel and KMP:
The Remuneration of the Senior Management Personnel and KMP shall be in accordance with the Policy of the Company as is applicable to the employees. Performance of the business/ function under his control is also considered while deciding remuneration.
Details of remuneration paid to Directors and KMP are mentioned elsewhere in this report.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit committee consists of two Non-Executive Independent Directors, one of whom is the Chairman. All the members of the Committee possess accounting or related financial management expertise. The Committee had met four times during the financial year 2023-24 on the dates 29th May 2023, 11th August 2023, 13th November 2023, and 13th February 2024 in which meetings, all the members were present.
Composition of the Audit Committee is as follows:
Name of the Members
|
Shri. Harikrishnan R. Nair
|
Chairman
|
Shri. M. R. Subramonian
|
Member
|
Dr. Ayyappan M
|
Member
|
The terms of reference of Audit committee in accordance
with Section 177(4) of the Companies Act, 2013 and the SEBI
(Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirement) Regulations,
2015 are as under -
1. The recommendation for appointment, remuneration and terms of appointment of auditors of the Company;
2. Review and monitor the auditor’s independence and performance, and effectiveness of audit process and discussions thereon;
3. Examination of the financial statement and the auditor’s report thereon;
4. Approval or any subsequent modification of transactions of the company with related parties;
5. Scrutiny of inter-corporate loans and investments;
6. Valuation of undertakings or assets of the Company;
7. Evaluation of internal financial controls and risk management systems;
8. Monitoring the end use of funds raised through public offers and or debt;
9. Discussion with Internal auditors of any significant findings and follow up thereon;
10. To review the functions of Whistle Blower mechanism;
11. To carry out such other functions as may be referred to it. There was no situation where the Board has not accepted the recommendation of the Audit Committee.
The Company has in place a Code of Conduct intended to focus the Board and Senior Management on areas of ethical risk, provide guidance to Directors and Senior Management to help them recognize and deal with ethical issues, provide mechanisms to report unethical conduct.
The Company has also in place a Code of Conduct for Prevention of Insider Trading for its designated Persons, in compliance with the SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015. The code advises them on the procedures to be followed and disclosures to be made, while dealing in shares of the Company and cautioning them of the consequences of violations. The Code of Conduct for Directors, Senior Management and Designated Employees is placed in the website of the Company. Trading in Shares of the Company has started in BSE Limited since listing of equity shares of the Company in BSE Ltd on 19th June 2024 .
stakeholders’ relationship committee
Stakeholders’ Relationship Committee was constituted pursuant to Section 178(5) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 20 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.
During the year 2023-24, The Committee met once during the financial year on 25th March 2024. All the committee members attended the meeting.
The Stakeholders’ Relationship Committee comprises of the following directors:
The Company Secretary acts as the secretary of the Stakeholders’ Relationship Committee.
The terms of reference, powers and scope of the Stakeholders’ Relationship Committee include:
(i) To look into the redressal of grievances of shareholders, debenture holders and other security holders;
Name of the Members
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Shri. M. R. Narayanan
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Chairman
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Shri. Harikrishnan R. Nair
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Member
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Shri. M. R. Subramonian
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Member
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(ii) To investigate complaints relating to allotment of shares, approval of transfer or transmission of shares;
(iii) To consider and resolve the grievances of the security holders of the company including complaints related to transfer of shares, non-receipt of balance sheet, non-receipt of declared dividends; and
The Company has a designated email id balamuralis@adtechindia. in for handling investor complaints on which investors can lodge their complaints. The Company has in place an investor grievance redressal policy for the redressal of investor complaints in a timely manner.
Mr. S. Balamurali, Company Secretary is the Compliance Officer of the Company. He reviews the investor complaints on a fortnightly basis to find out whether the grievance has been resolved within the time specified the Investor Grievance Redressal Policy of the Company.
There are no shares lying in the demat suspense account or unclaimed suspense account of the company and hence no disclosures in this regard are to be made.
STATUTORY AUDITORS
M/s Mahadev & Co, Chartered Accountants, New No. 23, Old No. 12 ,1st Floor, Murali Street, Mahalingapuram, Chennai, 600 034 (Firm Reg. No 001924S) were appointed as Statutory Auditors of the Company during 26th AGM held on 28th September 2017 for a period of five years. As per provisions of Section 139 of the Companies Act, 2013, an audit firm can be appointed as Statutory Auditors for two terms of five consecutive years. Subsequently, the Auditors were reappointed for another term of 5 years from the conclusion of the 31st Annual General Meeting held on 30th September 2022 till the conclusion of 36th Annual General Meeting in 2027.
There has been no frauds reported as per the internal control system prevalent in the company or by the Auditors during the Financial Year ended 31st March, 2024.
AUDITORS REPORT
There are no qualifications or adverse remarks mentioned in the Auditors Report for the financial year 2023-24. The notes on accounts forming part of financial statements are selfexplanatory.
secretarial audit report
Secretarial Auditors Report for the financial year 2023-24 as provided by M/s Sajee & Associates, Company Secretaries, Sreesankaram, First Floor, TC 83/211-2, Opp. Kaithamukku PO, Athani Lane, Trivandrum, 695 024 is annexed to this report. There are no qualifications or adverse remarks mentioned in the Auditors Report for the financial year 2023-24.
100 percent of promoter and promoter group shareholding are in dematerialized mode. .
Details of remuneration and other particulars required under Section 197(12) of the Companies Act read with relevant rules are given as Annexure III.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) COMMITTEE
Your Company has always believed in Social Responsibility and has been supporting the cause in a reasonable manner. The Company had taken up various activities in line with the business and requirements of the society in the locality in earlier years. The brief outline of the CSR Policy of the Company and the initiatives undertaken by the Company on CSR activities during the earlier years are set out in Annexure E to this report in the format prescribed in the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014. The policy is available in the website of the Company.
During the financial year 2023-24, The Committee met on 31st July 2023 in which meeting, all the members were present.
The composition and other details of the CSR Committee is detailed here under:
Name of the Members
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Shri. Harikrishnan R. Nair
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Chairman
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Shri. M. R. Subramonian
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Member
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Shri. N. Suresh
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Member
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Pursuant to provisions of Section 135 of the Companies Act, the Company has to spend an amount of at least 2 percent of the average net profits of the Company made during the three immediately preceding financial years calculated in accordance with the provisions of Section 198 on CSR activities.
During the year under review, the Company was not required to spend any amount towards CSR as its net profit for immediately preceding previous year was less than Rs 5 Crores.
acknowledgements
The Directors sincerely acknowledge the contribution and support from Customers, Shareholders, Bankers, Vendors, Business Associates and various Government as well as Regulatory Agencies for their valuable support for the Company’s growth. Your Directors also wish to place on record their appreciation of the contribution by the employees whose dedication, hard work and commitment enables the Company to sustain growth.
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