Independent Directors (IDs) should complement executive colleagues who wrestle with day-to-day issues that burn up time needed for the independent thought expected of company directors. IDs and executive directors should understand each other's roles and how their respective contributions can be complementary.

Boards rarely destroy value because a director did not know a section of tax law. They destroy value when obvious questions are not asked early enough, or answers are accepted because the organisation has fallen in love with a transaction. This is not confined to weak boards; it is the natural risk of enthusiastic ones.

The role of an Independent Director has never been more vital than in today's increasingly complex corporate landscape. Currently, businesses are navigating geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological disruption, diverse regulatory expectations, mounting stakeholder demands, financial pressures and growing scrutiny of corporate governance.

Public service brings in a lot of experience across different sectors, and in some sectors one does develop deeper insights. Thus, when one joins the boardroom, one can bring in that experience, but it is equally important to keep oneself updated in the sector in which one has accepted the board position.

My answer has changed over the years. Earlier, I would have said that deep functional expertise especially in functions like Finance, HR and Business Operations, leadership experience and a good reputation were the foundation. I still believe they are essential

An experienced lawyer can make for a remarkably astute independent director. However, the journey from counsel to an effective member of any company's board is a significant one. Every lawyer who traverses this distance notices the difference right away - when a proposal is discussed, the board is not looking to them for legal inputs alone. It expects a director's judgement and, eventually, a vote.

The October 2026 issue of Director Today, themed “What Truly Gets You the Board Seat: Equipping IDs for the Future Boardrooms,” addresses a question that every aspiring and serving Independent Director (ID) must answer squarely, “What does it take to earn a seat in an Indian boardroom, and what does it take to keep it?”

Today when the AI and its innovative tools are fast emerging as drivers of not only operational excellence but are significantly helping in strategic decisions and in building competitive advantage, leadership roles in the entire context of corporate governance are required to be revisited and transformed.

AI is the biggest riser in this year's annual survey. It jumps from tenth to second place after cyber issues, highlighting the emerging risks for companies in almost all industry sectors. Confronting cyber and AI risks and threats is a strategic issue for corporate boards and an operational concern for business executives.

As corporates race toward the September 30 deadline, we are yet to see whether the needle has moved from frantic box-ticking to real accountability, something our new generation of emotionally conscious citizens and environment activists will also demand & perhaps approve.