“Nidhi” means a company which has been incorporated as a Nidhi with the object of cultivating the habit of thrift and savings amongst its members, receiving deposits from, and lending to, its members only, for their mutual benefit, and which complies with such rules as are prescribed by the Central Government for regulation of such class of companies.

According to Rule 4 of Nidhi Rules, 2014, a Nidhi Company shall be a public company and must have a minimum paid up equity share capital of five lakh rupees. The Nidhi Company shall have only one object in its memorandum that is of cultivating the habit of thrift and savings amongst its members, receiving deposits from, and lending to, its members only, for their mutual benefit. Every Company incorporated as a “Nidhi” shall have the last words ‘Nidhi Limited’ as part of its name.

Rule 5 provides that, every Nidhi shall, within a period of one year from the commencement of these rules, ensure that it has:

(a) Not less than two hundred members.

(b) Net Owned Funds of ten lakh rupees or more.

(c) Unencumbered Term Deposits of not less than ten per cent of the outstanding deposits. (d) Ratio of Net Owned Funds to deposits of not more than 1:20.

The process of incorporation of a Nidhi company is same as of incorporation of a public company limited by shares.