PRIVATE COMPANY

Private Company [Section 2(68)]:

 “Private company” means a company having a minimum paid-up share capital as may be prescribed, and which by its articles,—

(i) restricts the right to transfer its shares;

(ii) except in case of One Person Company, limits the number of its members to two hundred:

Provided that where two or more persons hold one or more shares in a company jointly, they shall, for the purposes of this clause, be treated as a single member:

Provided further that—
(A) persons who are in the employment of the company; and

(B) persons who, having been formerly in the employment of the company, were members of the company while in that employment and have continued to be members after the employment ceased,
shall not be included in the number of members; and

(iii) prohibits any invitation to the public to subscribe for any securities of the company; 

Private company - significant points

•  No minimum paid-up capital requirement. 
•  Minimum number of members – 2 (except if private company is an OPC, where it will be 1). 
•  Maximum number of members – 200, excluding present employee-cum-members and erstwhile employee-cum-members. 
•  Right to transfer shares restricted. 
•  Prohibition on invitation to subscribe to securities of the company. 
•  Small company is a private company. 
•  OPC can be formed only as a private company.