Equity shares with differential voting rights (DVRs) are the kind of shares issued by a company that offers shareholders varying levels of the voting power. This means that some shareholders have more voting power than others and this can significantly impact the control and decision-making capabilities of the company.
| 2 min read. The shares with Differential Voting Rights (DVRs) in a company means those shares that give the holder of the shares the differential rights related to voting, i.e. either more voting rights or less voting rights compared to the ordinary shareholders of the company.
The company/startup should pass an Ordinary Resolution for the issuance of DVRs in the General Meeting of the shareholders. The voting power of DVRs equity shares should not exceed 74% of the total voting powers. There should be no default in filing the annual returns by the startups for the past three financial years.
Differential Voting Rights (DVRs) shares provide shareholders with either higher or lower voting rights in comparison to ordinary shareholders of the company. When a shareholder has higher voting rights in a ratio of , it means they have 10 votes per share held.
Disadvantages Of DVR Shares are as follows: Lower voting rights, reducing influence in company decisions. Potentially less liquid, making them harder to sell. May be viewed as less attractive to certain investors who value voting power.