eAGM - The Video Conference Platform
Covid has made the world realise that most of the meetings can happen very effectively over video call and there is no real requirement of holding physical meetings. This is more so when the number of participants are higher.
Right2Vote has launched an online AGM or Electronic Annual General Meeting (eAGM) or Video Conference service to help the customers meet online. This service aims to be an efficient alternative to physical meetings of groups like shareholders in a company, committee of creditors, vendors, members of association, members of a housing society etc.
Video conference or online AGM service has many advantages:
- Saves cost: People across the world can join via their mobile or computer and need not travel all the way. Also, there is no need to book meeting halls in five-star hotels, no need to book hotel rooms for people, no need to arrange transportation.
- Saves time: Scheduling any meeting takes up a lot of time in arrangement, travel etc. With eAGM time wasted in wasteful travel etc is avoided and people can switch in and out of meetings within seconds.
- Helps in higher participation: As people can participate anytime from anywhere, participation in meetings is much better. People who earlier used to drop out as they did not have time to travel for the meeting are able to join via video conference.
- Helps in keeping video records: We have provided the facility to video record the proceeding of the meeting. This not only helps if you want to share with members who were not able to attend but also helps in keeping a record in case of any future litigation.
Right2Vote's online AGM platform can be used for various activities. Many of our customers who use the eVoting services of Right2Vote also uses the eAGM facility as many of these voting events are held during Annual General Meetings (AGM), Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), meeting of Committee of Creditors (CoC), alumni meets or monthly review meetings.
With Covid related physical gathering restrictions by the government, online AGM has become even more useful. Even listed companies have been allowed to hold eAGMs instead of physical meetings to avoid physical gathering of people and the risk of covid. Many organizations are going for hybrid meetings where members who can join for a physical meeting, join physically, and the rest join via video conference.
A few of the major use cases for Right2Vote's eAGM facility include:
- Shareholder meetings: Shareholders of a company might be distributed all across the world. eAGM facility allows shareholders to join meetings via video conference facility. It is a regulatory requirement under The Indian Companies Act for shareholders to meet at regular intervals for key decision-making. This is applicable not only for listed companies but also very small companies which might have only 2 shareholders.
- Creditor's meeting: Creditors of companies in insolvency cases and also otherwise need to meet at regular intervals to discuss and decide on various company matters. Creditors are generally busy people and traveling to every meeting is difficult. Video conference platforms allow them to join meetings remotely on short notice without wasting time.
- Members meeting in a housing society: Housing societies meet annually for their AGM and also meet regularly to discuss various matters which might also need to be voted upon. Many members of the housing society are not residents in the society and hence video conference facility helps these members to participate in the meeting.
- Members meeting in an association: There are thousands of associations in the country in the form of trade associations, professional associations, homeowners' associations, and other associations of people with common interests. Members of all these associations need to meet at regular intervals to discuss and decide on various matters of mutual interest. eAGM facility allows all the members from across the world to join and participate.
- Meeting of members of a trust or an NGO: Members of organizations like Lions Club, Rotary Club, YMCA need to meet regularly to discuss and decide on important matters. They meet annually for their Annual General Meeting, but they also meet at shorter intervals for various other matters. All these meetings can happen via video conference which would not only save cost but also increase participation.
- Alumni meet of a college or a school: Most colleges and schools these days try to have annual alumni meet so that their alumni can stay connected. However, participation in these meetings is very low as most members are residents all across the world and it is not practically possible for them to travel to the institute just for the meeting. With the eAGM facility, these educational institutes can substantially increase the participation of alumni.
Right2Vote's online AGM platform is a very feature-rich platform and has many features. It has almost all the features present in popular video conference facility including:
- Mic on and off
- Camera on and off
- Video recording
- Mute all
- Screen share
- Invite others to join
- Waiting room
- Chat
- Raise hand
- Various exclusive rights to host
Over and above these feature Right2Vote's eAGM feature also provide some unique features which include:
- OTP-based authentication: One of the biggest challenges faced in popular video conference platforms is that anybody can log into the meeting if he has access to the meeting link. And as the meeting link is circulated freely by members on Whatsapp groups, it is very easy to get hold of the meeting link. Many hosts have faced very embarrassing situations due to such easy access of the platform to people with wrong intentions. In Right2Vote's eAGM platform, all the invited users have to get themselves authenticated via OTP before logging into the platform. Only people who are invited to eAGM can participate and others are denied access. This ensures better conduct of the meeting without any risk of leak of information or risk of miscreants disturbing the meeting.
- Predefined display name: Another major issue in other video conference platforms is that it is difficult to make out who has joined the meeting. Most of the name appears to be the name of the mobile phones through which the member is logging in. In Right2Vote's eAGM platform, the host of the meeting can input the name of the members along with other identifiers like membership member and when the member joins his full name with the membership number is displayed. The members do not have the right to change their display names. This helps in better conduct of the meeting and members do not have to guess whom they are talking to.
- Attendance sheet: Right2Vote's eAGM platform also provides an additional feature of attendance record at the end of the meeting. The sheet provides details like the name of the attendee, his login ID, his IP address. The attendance sheet is very useful for meeting the regulatory requirement relating to quorum. It also helps to have a record of members who were present in the meeting and case of any dispute or litigation can be cited as proof of the presence of members during the meeting.
Right2Vote recommends its clients to use the eVoting and eAGM services together. While using both the services together, the client can, during the meeting, call for voting among members and announce the result during the eAGM itself. The result screen can be shared with the voters in the eAGM for transparency.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is an eAGM?
An eAGM, or Electronic Annual General Meeting, is an Annual General Meeting conducted online through a digital platform. Instead of requiring all members or shareholders to be physically present at one location, participants can join the meeting remotely using an internet-connected device.
Right2Vote provides an eAGM and video conferencing solution that helps organisations conduct online meetings, manage participants, facilitate discussions and support voting or resolutions when required.
What is eAGM in India?
eAGM in India refers to conducting an Annual General Meeting through an online or electronic platform. It can help organisations conduct meetings when members or shareholders are located in different cities or countries.
An eAGM can include activities such as participant registration, online attendance, presentations, discussions, questions and answers, resolutions and electronic voting, depending on the organisation's requirements and applicable rules.
How does an eAGM work?
An eAGM generally follows a process similar to a physical AGM, but the meeting is conducted online.
A typical eAGM process includes:
- Preparing the meeting agenda and participant list.
- Sending meeting invitations and joining instructions.
- Authenticating eligible participants.
- Allowing participants to join the online meeting.
- Recording attendance.
- Conducting presentations and discussions.
- Allowing participants to ask questions.
- Conducting voting on resolutions where required.
- Recording the outcome of the meeting.
Right2Vote can help organisations manage these activities through a structured digital meeting process.
How to conduct an eAGM?
To conduct an eAGM, an organisation first needs to decide the meeting date, agenda, eligible participants and meeting requirements. The organisation can then configure the online meeting platform and share joining instructions with members or shareholders.
During the meeting, participants can join remotely, attend the discussions and participate in Q&A. If resolutions require voting, an online voting process can also be integrated or conducted through Right2Vote, depending on the meeting setup.
The organisation should ensure that its eAGM process complies with applicable laws, regulations, company rules and its governing documents.
What is an eAGM platform?
An eAGM platform is a digital system used to conduct an Annual General Meeting online. It provides the technology required for participants to join remotely and for the meeting organiser to manage the meeting.
A comprehensive eAGM platform can support functions such as online attendance, participant management, video conferencing, presentations, Q&A, meeting communication and voting.
Right2Vote provides digital meeting and voting solutions that can be configured according to the organisation's requirements.
Who can use an eAGM platform?
An eAGM platform can be useful for organisations where members, shareholders or participants need to attend an Annual General Meeting remotely.
Examples include:
- Companies and shareholder organisations
- Housing societies and RWAs
- Associations and professional bodies
- Educational institutions
- Alumni associations
- Clubs and member-based organisations
- Non-profit organisations
- Other institutions conducting formal general meetings
The exact format and legal requirements can vary depending on the organisation.
What are the benefits of conducting an eAGM?
The biggest benefit of an eAGM is convenience. Participants do not necessarily have to travel to a physical venue to attend the meeting
Other benefits can include:
- Remote participation
- Easier access for members living in different cities or countries
- Reduced dependency on physical venues
- Digital participant management
- Online Q&A and discussions
- Integration with electronic voting
- Better organisation of meeting records
- Easier communication with participants
For organisations with a geographically distributed membership, an eAGM can make participation more accessible.
Can shareholders attend an eAGM from anywhere?
When remote participation is permitted and the meeting is configured accordingly, shareholders can join an eAGM from different locations using an internet-connected device.
This can be particularly useful for shareholders who live outside the city where the organisation's physical office or meeting venue is located.
However, participation requirements, eligibility and meeting procedures should always follow the applicable legal and regulatory framework.
Can voting be conducted during an eAGM?
Yes, an eAGM can include electronic voting when voting is required and permitted under the applicable rules.
For example, participants may need to vote on resolutions discussed during the meeting. Right2Vote can provide an online voting process where eligible voters can be authenticated and cast their votes electronically.
Voting can be configured according to the requirements of the organisation and the resolution being voted upon.
Can members ask questions during an eAGM?
Yes. Q&A is an important part of an AGM because participants may want clarification about the agenda, financial matters, resolutions or other issues.
A digital eAGM setup can provide participants with an online mechanism to submit questions during the meeting. The meeting organiser can manage these questions and allow the appropriate questions to be addressed during the session.
Right2Vote can support structured digital meeting and Q&A requirements depending on the configuration.
How is attendance managed in an eAGM?
In a physical AGM, attendance is generally recorded through a physical register or attendance mechanism. In an eAGM, attendance can be managed digitally.
Participants can be authenticated before or during joining, and the organisation can maintain digital records of participation according to its meeting process.
This can make participant management easier, especially when a large number of members or shareholders are attending remotely.
Is an eAGM secure?
Security is an important consideration when conducting an online AGM because the meeting may involve confidential discussions, shareholder information or important resolutions.
Right2Vote provides authentication and security features that can be configured according to the meeting and voting requirements. Where voting is involved, additional controls such as OTP authentication, two-factor authentication, voter verification, audit trails and Secret Ballot can be used where applicable.
Organisations should also define appropriate access controls and participant eligibility before the meeting.
Can an eAGM and eVoting be conducted together?
Yes. An eAGM and eVoting can work together when an organisation needs both an online meeting and electronic voting.
For example, during an AGM, the organisation can:
- Invite eligible members or shareholders.
- Conduct the meeting online.
- Present the agenda and resolutions.
- Allow participants to ask questions
- Open voting on the relevant resolutions.
- Allow eligible voters to cast their votes electronically.
- Close voting and generate the result according to the configured process.
This creates a more integrated digital AGM experience.
What is the difference between eAGM and eVoting?
eAGM and eVoting are related but serve different purposes.
An eAGM is primarily the online conduct of the Annual General Meeting, including attendance, presentations, discussions and Q&A.
eVoting is the electronic process of casting votes on candidates, resolutions or other matters.
For example, a company may conduct its AGM online through an eAGM platform and use eVoting for shareholders to vote on resolutions discussed during the meeting.
Why should an organisation choose Right2Vote for eAGM?
Right2Vote helps organisations move important meeting and voting processes from physical environments to a structured digital platform.
With Right2Vote, organisations can manage online meetings, participant access, discussions, Q&A and electronic voting based on their requirements. The platform can be useful for companies, associations, housing societies, RWAs, educational institutions and other member-based organisations.
The main advantage of an eAGM is that it can make participation more convenient while reducing the dependency on physical meeting locations. When combined with eVoting, organisations can manage the complete meeting-to-resolution process digitally.
For organisations planning to conduct an online AGM, Right2Vote can provide a customisable eAGM and eVoting solution designed around their meeting, participant and voting requirements.
