Sanya Warriar

Expert

Published on: Jul 30, 2026

What Are The Types Of Liquidation?

In India, liquidating a business entails selling its assets and dividing the proceeds among its shareholders and creditors. In this article, learn about the various types of Liquidation followed by companies to dissolve their business.

The Companies Act of 2013 governs the liquidation procedure. When a corporation is liquidated, the interest of the shareholders in it is terminated, and the firm no longer exists. The corporation sells off its assets to pay off its debts and divides the remaining money among its owners.

Types of Liquidation

Voluntary Liquidation

1 is when a company voluntarily decides to dissolve its assets and operations to pay off its creditors. The provisions of the Companies Act 2013 govern this process.

The process usually starts with the board of directors passing a resolution to wind up the company. Once the resolution is passed, the company must apply to the Registrar of Companies (ROC) to initiate the process. A public announcement is then made, allowing creditors to submit their claims.

Once the claims are submitted and verified, the company’s assets are sold off and the proceeds are used to pay off the creditors. If there are still funds remaining, they are distributed among the shareholders. Once the company’s assets are sold and the creditors are paid off, the company is dissolved, and the shareholders no longer have any legal rights or obligations associated with the company.

Compulsory Liquidation

Compulsory liquidation is a legal process that the creditors of a company initiate. It happens when the company cannot pay its debts and cannot agree on a repayment plan with its creditors. In such cases, the creditors can apply with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and request the company’s dissolution. The NCLT will then appoint a

liquidator who will take control of the company’s assets and liabilities and sell them off to pay off the creditors. The liquidator will also be responsible for winding up the company’s affairs and distributing the remaining assets to shareholders.

Creditors Voluntary Liquidation

Creditors’ voluntary liquidation (CVL) is when a company’s creditors decide to liquidate the company’s assets to pay what is owed to them. It is a voluntary process that the company’s directors initiate. It requires most of the company’s creditors to vote in favour of the liquidation for it to occur. The process of CVL begins with the company’s directors convening a meeting of creditors. At this meeting, the creditors will be asked to vote on whether or not they wish to liquidate the company’s assets. Once the creditors have voted in favour of the liquidation, the company’s assets will be sold off to pay the creditors. The company’s directors will also appoint a liquidator, who will be responsible for overseeing the liquidation process. The liquidator will also be responsible for distributing any remaining funds after the creditors have been paid. Once the liquidation process is complete, the company will be dissolved and the directors will no longer be responsible for the company.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Types of Liquidation in India Under Companies Act 2013.

Voluntary liquidation is a process where a company voluntarily decides to dissolve its assets and operations to pay off its creditors. It is initiated by the company's board of directors, who pass a resolution to wind up the company. The company then applies to the Registrar of Companies (ROC) to initiate the process, and a public announcement is made for creditors to submit their claims.
Compulsory liquidation is a legal process initiated by the creditors of a company when the company cannot pay its debts and cannot agree on a repayment plan with its creditors. The creditors apply to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which then appoints a liquidator to take control of the company's assets and liabilities, sell them off, and use the proceeds to pay off the creditors.
In the case of compulsory liquidation, the NCLT appoints a liquidator who takes control of the company's assets and liabilities, sells them off, and uses the proceeds to pay off the creditors. The liquidator is also responsible for winding up the company's affairs and distributing any remaining assets to shareholders. In a creditors' voluntary liquidation, the company's directors appoint a liquidator to oversee the liquidation process and distribute the remaining funds after creditors have been paid.
Creditors' voluntary liquidation (CVL) is a process where the company's creditors decide to liquidate the company's assets to pay what is owed to them. It is a voluntary process initiated by the company's directors, who convene a meeting of creditors. If most creditors vote in favor of liquidation, the company's assets are sold off to pay the creditors.
After the liquidation process is complete, the company is dissolved, and the shareholders no longer have any legal rights or obligations associated with the company. In the case of voluntary liquidation, if there are still funds remaining after paying off creditors, they are distributed among the shareholders.
No, liquidation and bankruptcy are not the same. Liquidation is the process of selling off a company's assets to pay off creditors, while bankruptcy is a legal process where a company declares its inability to pay off its debts. Liquidation can be a part of the bankruptcy process, but it can also occur without the company filing for bankruptcy.
No, once a company is liquidated, it ceases to exist, and its operations are terminated. The company's assets are sold off, and the proceeds are used to pay off creditors. After the liquidation process is complete, the company is dissolved, and it cannot continue its operations.
The liquidation process can be initiated by different parties depending on the type of liquidation. In voluntary liquidation, the company's board of directors initiates the process. In compulsory liquidation, the creditors initiate the process by applying to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). In creditors' voluntary liquidation, the company's directors initiate the process by convening a meeting of creditors.
In voluntary liquidation, the company must apply to the Registrar of Companies (ROC) to initiate the liquidation process after the board of directors passes a resolution to wind up the company. The ROC plays a regulatory role in the liquidation process, ensuring that it is carried out in accordance with the Companies Act 2013.
Yes, shareholders can receive compensation after liquidation, but only if there are remaining funds after paying off all creditors. In voluntary liquidation, if there are still funds remaining after paying off creditors, they are distributed among the shareholders. However, shareholders are the last to receive any compensation, as creditors' claims take priority.