Section 3:
Definitions.
In this Code, unless the context otherwise requires,--
(1) "Board" means the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India established under
sub-section (1) of section 188;
(2) "bench" means a bench of the Adjudicating Authority;
(3) "bye-laws" mean the bye-laws made by the insolvency professional agency under section 205;
(4) "charge" means an interest or lien created on the property or assets of any person or any of its
undertakings or both, as the case may be, as security and includes a mortgage;
(5) "Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Board;
(6) "claim" means--
(a) a right to payment, whether or not such right is reduced to judgment, fixed, disputed,
undisputed, legal, equitable, secured or unsecured;
(b) right to remedy for breach of contract under any law for the time being in force, if such
breach gives rise to a right to payment, whether or not such right is reduced to judgment, fixed,
matured, unmatured, disputed, undisputed, secured or unsecured;
(7) "corporate person" means a company as defined in clause (20) of section 2 of the Companies
Act, 2013 (18 of 2013), a limited liability partnership, as defined in clause (n) of sub-section (1) of
section 2 of the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 (6 of 2009), or any other person incorporated
with limited liability under any law for the time being in force but shall not include any financial
service provider;
(8) "corporate debtor" means a corporate person who owes a debt to any person;
(9) "core services" means services rendered by an information utility for--
(a) accepting electronic submission of financial information in such form and manner as may be
specified;
(b) safe and accurate recording of financial information;
(c) authenticating and verifying the financial information submitted by a person; and
(d) providing access to information stored with the information utility to persons as may be
specified;
(10) "creditor" means any person to whom a debt is owed and includes a financial creditor, an
operational creditor, a secured creditor, an unsecured creditor and a decree-holder;
(11) "debt" means a liability or obligation in respect of a claim which is due from any person and
includes a financial debt and operational debt;
(12) "default" means non-payment of debt when whole or any part or instalment of the amount of
debt has become due and payable and is not 1[paid] by the debtor or the corporate debtor, as the case
may be;
(13) "financial information", in relation to a person, means one or more of the following
categories of information, namely:--
(a) records of the debt of the person;
(b) records of liabilities when the person is solvent;
(c) records of assets of person over which security interest has been created;
(d) records, if any, of instances of default by the person against any debt;
(e) records of the balance sheet and cash-flow statements of the person; and
(f) such other information as may be specified;
(14) "financial institution" means--
(a) a scheduled bank;
(b) financial institution as defined in section 45-I of the Reserve Bank of India
Act, 1934 (2 of 1934);
(c) public financial institution as defined in clause (72) of section 2 of the Companies
Act, 2013 (18 of 2013); and
(d) such other institution as the Central Government may by notification specify as a financial
institution;
(15) "financial product" means securities, contracts of insurance, deposits, credit arrangements
including loans and advances by banks and financial institutions, retirement benefit plans, small
savings instruments, foreign currency contracts other than contracts to exchange one currency
(whether Indian or not) for another which are to be settled immediately, or any other instrument as
may be prescribed;
(16) "financial service" includes any of the following services, namely:
(a) accepting of deposits;
(b) safeguarding and administering assets consisting of financial products, belonging to
another person, or agreeing to do so;
(c) effecting contracts of insurance;
(d) offering, managing or agreeing to manage assets consisting of financial products
belonging to another person;
(e) rendering or agreeing, for consideration, to render advice on or soliciting for the purposes
of--
(i) buying, selling, or subscribing to, a financial product;
(ii) availing a financial service; or
(iii) exercisfing any right associated with a financial product or financial service;
(f) establishing or operating an investment scheme;
(g) maintaining or transferring records of ownership of a financial product;
(h) underwriting the issuance or subscription of a financial product; or
(i) selling, providing, or issuing stored value or payment instruments or providing payment
services;
(17) "financial service provider" means a person engaged in the business of providing financial
services in terms of authorisation issued or registration granted by a financial sector regulator;
(18) "financial sector regulator" means an authority or body constituted under any law for the
time being in force to regulate services or transactions of financial sector and includes the Reserve
Bank of India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India, the Pension Fund Regulatory Authority and such other regulatory
authorities as may be notified by the Central Government;
(19) "insolvency professional" means a person enrolled under section 206 with an insolvency
professional agency as its member and registered with the Board as an insolvency professional under
section 207;
(20) "insolvency professional agency" means any person registered with the Board under
section 201 as an insolvency professional agency;
(21) "information utility" means a person who is registered with the Board as an information
utility under section 210;
(22) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette, and the terms notified
and "notify" shall be construed accordingly;
(23) "person" includes--
(a) an individual;
(b) a Hindu Undivided Family;
(c) a company;
(d) a trust;
(e) a partnership;
(f) a limited liability partnership; and
(g) any other entity established under a statute,
and includes a person resident outside India;
(24) "person resident in India" shall have the meaning as assigned to such term in clause (v) of
section 2 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999);
(25) "person resident outside India" means a person other than a person resident in India;
(26) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made by the Central Government;
(27) "property" includes money, goods, actionable claims, land and every description of property
situated in India or outside India and every description of interest including present or future or vested
or contingent interest arising out of, or incidental to, property;
(28) "regulations" means the regulations made by the Board under this Code;
(29) "Schedule" means the Schedule annexed to this Code;
(30) "secured creditor" means a creditor in favour of whom security interest is created;
(31) "security interest" means right, title or interest or a claim to property, created in favour of, or
provided for a secured creditor by a transaction which secures payment or performance of an
obligation and includes mortgage, charge, hypothecation, assignment and encumbrance or any other
agreement or arrangement securing payment or performance of any obligation of any person:
Provided that security interest shall not include a performance guarantee;
(32) "specified" means specified by regulations made by the Board under this Code and the term
"specify" shall be construed accordingly;
(33) "transaction" includes a agreement or arrangement in writing for the transfer of assets, or
funds, goods or services, from or to the corporate debtor;
(34) "transfer" includes sale, purchase, exchange, mortgage, pledge, gift, loan or any other form
of transfer of right, title, possession or lien;
(35) "transfer of property" means transfer of any property and includes a transfer of any interest
in the property and creation of any charge upon such property;
(36) "workman" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (s) of section 2 of the
Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (14 of 1947);
(37) words and expressions used but not defined in this Code but defined in the Indian Contract
Act, 1872 (9 of 1872), the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 (9 of 1932), the Securities Contact
(Regulation) Act, 1956 (42 of 1956), the Securities Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992),
the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 (51 of 1993), the Limited
Liability Partnership Act, 2008 (6 of 2009) and the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013), shall have the
meanings respectively assigned to them in those Acts.
Notes:
1 Subs. by Act 26 of 2018, s. 2 for "repaid" (w.e.f. 6-6-2018).