As a Tata Company, Corporate Governance is a way of life at The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL). Our philosophy on Corporate Governance finds its roots in the rich legacy of ethical governance practices, many of which were in place even before they were mandated. The Company seeks to focus on enhancement of long-term value creation for all stakeholders without compromising on integrity, social obligations and regulatory compliances. As a Company with a strong sense of values and commitment, we believe that profitability must go hand in hand with a sense of responsibility towards all stakeholders. This is an integral part of our Company’s business philosophy. The cardinal principles such as independence, accountability, responsibility, transparency, trusteeship and disclosure serve as means for implementing the philosophy of Corporate Governance.
The Corporate Governance philosophy is further strengthened with the adherence to the Tata Business Excellence Model as a means to drive excellence for tracking progress on long term strategic objective as also the Tata Code of Conduct, and the Tata Code for Prevention of Insider Trading and Code of Corporate Disclosure Practices.
Being a Tata Group company, the Company subscribes to the Tata Code of Conduct (‘TCOC’), which clearly articulates the ethical principles and desired behaviours. The TCOC requires the Tata companies and employees to act with professionalism, honesty and integrity and to preserve the human rights of every individual and the community. The principles of the TCOC apply to all our dealings with our business partners who are encouraged to adhere to similar standards. The TCOC covers various subjects like equal opportunity employer, dignity & respect, human rights, bribery & corruption, gifts and hospitality, conflict of interest, financial reporting and records among others. The TCOC is augmented by a number of policies that help strengthen governance practices at IHCL. These policies include the Conflict of Interest Policy, The Policy for Receipt of Gifts and Hospitality, The Whistle Blower Policy and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Policy.
The Company has adopted Governance Guidelines to help fulfil its corporate responsibility towards its stakeholders. The Governance Guidelines cover aspects related to composition and role of the Board, Chairman and Directors, Board diversity, definition of independence, Director’s term, retirement age and Committees of the Board. It also covers aspects relating to nomination, appointment, induction and development of Directors, Directors’ remuneration, subsidiary oversight, Code of Conduct, Board effectiveness review and mandates of Board Committees. These guidelines ensure that the Board will have the necessary authority and processes to review and evaluate our operations when required. Further, these guidelines allow the Board to make decisions that are independent of the management.
The Company has adopted the requirements of Corporate Governance as specified under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 (“Listing Regulations”)