Who is a corporate debtor?

A corporate debtor refers to a company, a limited liability partnership or any person who owes a debt to its creditors. Under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy code, a corporate debtor is liable to the financial and operational creditors for the payment of such debt.

What types of creditors are there with respect to a corporate debtor?

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (“MCA”) notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Insolvency and Liquidation Proceedings of Financial Service Providers and Application to Adjudicating Authority) Rules, 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the “Rules”) on 15 November 2019. The objective of notifying the Rules was to provide a framework for insolvency and liquidation proceedings of Financial Service Providers (hereinafter referred to as “FSPs”) other than banks.

Incorporated with the objective of promoting maximization of value of assets in a time bound manner, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (hereinafter referred to as “IBC”) works towards effective protection to honest creditors against unscrupulous debtors who may misuse insolvency to evade of their liabilities. The conducive and efficacious implementation of the IBC has instilled confidence in the creditors for a systematic and speedy reform. The remedy under the IBC is also available to the unpaid employees of the debtor which is now being recognized judicially as well.

Introduction –

The Delhi High Court in the case of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. vs Jyoti Structures Ltd.[1], vide its order dated December 11, 2017, ruled that Section 14(1)(a) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, (hereinafter referred to as the ‘IBC’) would not apply to proceedings which are beneficial to the corporate debtor.

Legal provision –

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Code’) received the assent of the President of India on May 28, 2016.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (‘IBBI’) was established under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (‘Code’). On 31st March 2017, IBBI in exercise of its powers under the said Code notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Voluntary Liquidation) Regulations, 2017 (‘Regulation’). It came into force with effect from 1st April 2017. The Regulation provides for a complete framework for the voluntary liquidation of any corporate person.

In the ever-evolving landscape of corporate governance and insolvency regulation, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) stands at the forefront, orchestrating strategic reforms to fortify the framework governing businesses in India. The idea for seeking reforms in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) are the dual imperatives of enhancing corporate governance standards and streamlining insolvency processes to foster economic resilience and growth.