Coforge Boardroom Turmoil Deepens as NRC Chair D K Singh Resigns

IT services firm Coforge is grappling with a fresh round of boardroom turbulence after D K Singh, its non-executive independent director and chairperson of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee (NRC), resigned with immediate effect, citing "differences and tension" between independent and executive directors.

A Resignation Rooted in Governance Concerns

According to Coforge, Singh's exit followed an internal audit review that flagged governance lapses in how he and former Chairman O P Bhatt had handled a recent board evaluation exercise. The company said evaluation reports commissioned from an external survey agency were shared only with Bhatt and Singh, and that the presentation made to the wider board did not disclose that the Chairman's own performance category had received the lowest rating in that evaluation. Coforge's board has called Singh's characterisation of events "unfounded" and "an afterthought," maintaining that the board had otherwise functioned with cooperation and unanimity since 2024.

In his resignation email, dated September 10, Singh said the "unfortunate events of the past several weeks," including Bhatt's departure, made it an appropriate moment to step down. He said the board's transition from a private-equity-led structure to a more independent one had, while broadly positive, also created friction between independent and executive directors, and that he felt it was becoming difficult to exercise the independent judgment he believed his role required.

The Bhatt Connection

Singh's exit follows closely on the heels of former State Bank of India chairman O P Bhatt stepping down as Coforge's Chairman, also linked to the same internal audit findings. Bhatt had separately fallen short of the 75 percent special-resolution threshold needed for his reappointment as an independent director at the company's August 24 annual general meeting, securing only about 65 percent of votes in favour — a signal of shareholder unease that predated the audit disclosures.

Board Reshuffle Underway

In response to Singh's departure, Coforge has reconstituted its board committees. Non-Executive Independent Director Beth Boucher has been named the new NRC chairperson, while Vivek Sharma will serve as interim Chair until January 31, 2027. During that period, Sharma is tasked with leading a global search to induct additional independent directors and overseeing the election of a permanent board chair.

Why It Matters

The episode adds to a string of governance disclosures at Coforge this year and comes at a sensitive time for the IT services sector, where investors have grown more attentive to board conduct and disclosure practices following several high-profile boardroom disputes across corporate India. Both Singh and Bhatt had accepted fresh multi-year board terms earlier this year before the audit findings surfaced, underscoring how quickly the situation escalated. How swiftly Coforge can stabilise its board and complete its search for new independent directors is likely to be watched closely by shareholders and governance analysts alike.

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