Benares Hotels declares ₹25 dividend, reappoints chairman
Benares Hotels Limited concluded its 55th AGM on July 23, 2026, with shareholders approving a ₹25 dividend per share for FY26. The meeting also saw the reappointment of Chairman Dr. Anant Narain Singh and the induction of Rajendra Misra and Anupam Chaturvedi to the Board. All resolutions passed with over 99.9% support, indicating strong shareholder backing for the company's governance and financial decisions.

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Benares Hotels Limited shareholders approved a dividend of ₹25 per equity share and reappointed Dr. Anant Narain Singh as a director at the company’s 55th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on July 23, 2026. The meeting, conducted via Video Conference/Other Audio-Visual Means (VC/OAVM), also resulted in the appointment of Rajendra Misra as a Non-Executive Director and Anupam Chaturvedi as an Independent Director. All six resolutions presented for voting were passed with requisite majority, reflecting strong shareholder confidence in the Board’s governance and financial strategy for the financial year ended March 31, 2026.
The AGM commenced at 3:00 p.m. (IST) and concluded at 4:05 p.m. (IST), in compliance with Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) circulars permitting virtual meetings. Dr. Anant Narain Singh, Chairman of the Board, chaired the proceedings in terms of Article 96 of the Articles of Association. The statutory auditors, PKF Sridhar & Santhanam LLP, and secretarial auditors, D. S. Associates, were present virtually. Mr. Arvind Kohli of Arvind Kohli & Associates served as the scrutinizer for the remote e-voting process conducted under Section 108 of the Companies Act, 2013.
Shareholders voted on six key resolutions. The most significant outcome was the declaration of a final dividend of ₹25 per equity share of face value ₹10 each for FY26. This ordinary resolution received 784,719 votes in favor (99.9964%) against 28 votes opposed. Additionally, shareholders approved the adoption of the audited financial statements for FY26, which contained no qualifications or adverse remarks from the statutory auditors.
| Resolution Description | Type | Votes In Favor | % Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adoption of Audited Financial Statements for FY26 | Ordinary | 784,687 | 99.9973% |
| Declaration of ₹25 Dividend per Share | Ordinary | 784,719 | 99.9964% |
| Reappointment of Dr. Anant Narain Singh | Ordinary | 784,718 | 99.9963% |
| Appointment of Rajendra Misra as Non-Executive Director | Ordinary | 784,719 | 99.9964% |
| Appointment of Anupam Chaturvedi as Independent Director | Special | 784,719 | 99.9964% |
| Commission to Directors | Special | 784,630 | 99.9851% |
Dr. Anant Narain Singh, who retires by rotation under Section 152(6) of the Companies Act, 2013, was reappointed as a director. The resolution garnered 784,718 votes in favor, representing 99.9963% support. Promoter group shareholders, holding 813,517 shares, voted unanimously in favor of all resolutions, accounting for approximately 93.47% of total shares polled.
The Board also expanded its composition with two new appointments. Rajendra Misra (DIN: 07493059) was appointed as a Non-Executive Director, while Anupam Chaturvedi (DIN: 08377992) was appointed as an Independent Director via special resolution. Both appointments received near-unanimous support, with 99.9964% of votes cast in favor. The final resolution concerning the commission to directors was also passed with 99.9851% support, despite 117 votes against it primarily from public institutional shareholders.
What the Numbers Show
The voting pattern highlights a clear bifurcation between promoter and public shareholder engagement. While the promoter group participated heavily, polling 760,381 votes (93.47% of outstanding shares), public non-institutional shareholders polled only 24,327 votes (5.01%). Despite lower participation, public non-institutional investors showed high alignment with management, supporting over 99.88% of resolutions. The negligible opposition across all items underscores stable corporate governance relations, with no dissent on critical matters such as financial statement adoption or board composition.
Historical Stock Returns for Benares Hotels
| 1 Day | 5 Days | 1 Month | 6 Months | 1 Year | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -0.58% | -0.28% | -4.85% | +7.30% | +4.03% | +498.01% |
How will the new Non-Executive and Independent Directors influence Benares Hotels' strategic direction for FY27?
What is the expected impact of the ₹25 per share dividend on the company's free cash flow and future capital expenditure plans?
Will the high promoter voting dominance (93.47%) continue to shield management from public shareholder scrutiny in future governance matters?


































