Director Identification Number (DIN)

Before a person can be appointed a director of any Indian company, the Companies Act, 2013 requires that person to hold a unique identifying number issued by the Central Government — the Director Identification Number, or DIN. Section 152(3) states that no person shall be appointed as a director of a company unless he has been allotted a Director Identification Number under Section 154, or such other number as may be prescribed. The requirement runs across every company a person might direct: because DIN is allotted to the individual, not to a particular company, the same DIN follows that person across every directorship he or she holds for life, giving the Ministry of Corporate Affairs a single, unique reference to track an individual's directorships nationwide.

The procedure for obtaining a DIN is set out in Sections 153 and 154. Under Section 153, every individual intending to be appointed as a director of a company must make an application for allotment of a DIN to the Central Government, in the prescribed form, along with the prescribed fee and supporting documents (identity proof, address proof, and a photograph). Under Section 154, the Central Government, on receiving the application, must allot a DIN to the applicant within the prescribed time, in the prescribed manner. Once allotted, the DIN is permanent (subject to cancellation or surrender in specified circumstances, such as the DIN having been obtained by fraudulent means, or the holder being found of unsound mind, or being declared insolvent) and must be quoted by the director in every return, form, or document he or she signs under the Act. The DIN system was introduced precisely to prevent …