The company says its Annual Report 2024–25 covered the period ending March 31, 2025, while Mr Sahu joined the ITI Limited Board on July 14, 2025.
NEW DELHI (India CSR): ITI Limited has clarified that the Board-meeting attendance information cited in an earlier India CSR report related to the financial year from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. Mr Gopinath Sahu, an Odisha BJP leader, was appointed as an Independent Director of ITI Limited with effect from July 14, 2025.
Accordingly, the FY 2024–25 Board-attendance disclosure cannot be applied to Mr Sahu or used to assess his attendance at Board meetings.
The clarification follows India CSR’s earlier article, published under the headline: “Gopinath Sahu, ITI Ltd Independent Director and Odisha BJP Leader, Did Not Attend Any Board Meetings – Corporate Governance.” That report referred to the company’s Annual Report 2024–25, which stated that eight Board meetings were held during the year under review.
Company Clarification
ITI Limited told India CSR, “The data given in our Annual Report 2024–25 pertains to the period 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025. And Mr. Gopinath Sahu joined ITI on July 14, 2025.”
The company’s response makes clear that Mr Sahu was not on the ITI Limited Board during FY 2024–25. Therefore, the earlier reference connecting the Annual Report’s FY 2024–25 attendance information with Mr Sahu was not applicable and has been corrected.
Reference to the Earlier Report
India CSR’s earlier report noted that eight meetings of the Board of Directors were held during FY 2024–25 and reproduced an attendance-related entry from the company’s Annual Report. The report also examined the importance of participation by independent directors in Board oversight and corporate-governance processes.
However, since the reporting period ended on March 31, 2025, while Mr Sahu’s appointment became effective on July 14, 2025, that attendance table cannot establish whether he attended, or did not attend, Board meetings.
Key Facts
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Gopinath Sahu |
| Position | Independent Director, ITI Limited |
| Effective date of appointment | July 14, 2025 |
| Annual Report referred to earlier | ITI Limited Annual Report 2024–25 |
| Period covered by that Annual Report | April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 |
| Board meetings reported for FY 2024–25 | Eight |
| Applicability of FY 2024–25 attendance data to Mr Sahu | Not applicable, as he joined after the reporting period ended |
| Educational qualification | M.A. in Odia Language and Literature; LLB, Utkal University |
| Background | Socio-political activist associated with RSS and BJP in Odisha |
Post-Appointment Disclosure
A corporate-governance disclosure for the quarter ended September 2025 records ITI Limited Board meetings on July 30, 2025 and August 13, 2025. The filing indicates that one independent director attended each meeting.
The disclosure, however, does not identify the independent director by name. It cannot, on its own, be used to confirm Mr Sahu’s individual attendance or non-attendance. Any such assessment would require a named attendance disclosure or a specific clarification from the company.
Independent Directors and Corporate Governance
Independent directors are expected to bring objective judgment to Board deliberations, including those concerning strategy, performance, risk management, ethical conduct and stakeholder interests. The Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI’s Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations emphasise informed oversight and effective Board functioning.
Attendance at Board and committee meetings is an important element of a director’s role. However, corporate-governance analysis must rely on information applicable to the relevant director and the relevant appointment period.
Editor’s Note
This article updates and corrects the earlier India CSR report titled “Gopinath Sahu, ITI Ltd Independent Director and Odisha BJP Leader, Did Not Attend Any Board Meetings – Corporate Governance.” ITI Limited has clarified that the FY 2024–25 Annual Report data referred to a period before Mr Gopinath Sahu’s appointment on July 14, 2025. The earlier inference regarding his Board-meeting attendance for FY 2024–25 has therefore been withdrawn.
