Company secretary: skills, tools, growth and future in India

A company secretary helps a company follow company law and run board and shareholder meetings properly. Many are also part of the company's senior management team.

Also searched as: CS, secretarial executive, company secretary and compliance officer, corporate governance executive. Checked 16 October 2026.

What the work looks like

Prepare notices, agendas and minutes for board and shareholder meetings.
File company forms and returns with the Registrar of Companies.
Keep statutory registers and records up to date.
Advise directors on company law and, in listed companies, on stock exchange and SEBI rules.
Coordinate with auditors, lawyers and regulators.
Track due dates for filings and approvals.

Tools and technical skills

MCA portal (company e-forms)
Digital signature certificates (DSC)
Companies Act, 2013 and its rules
Stock exchange filing portals of BSE and NSE for listed companies
Word and PDF drafting with templates and tracked changes
Compliance calendars and tracking tools
Excel for registers and share records

Skills beyond technology

Discretion: you hear board talks that must stay private.
Precise drafting: wrong wording in a resolution can cause real trouble.
Polite firmness: you sometimes must tell directors that a step is not allowed.
Organising: meetings, papers and filings all have fixed dates.
Relationship building: the board listens to people it trusts.

How to get started in India

ICSI's route is CSEET (open after Class 12 or while appearing), then the Executive and Professional programmes.
Graduates and postgraduates can register for the CS Executive Programme directly. ICAI Intermediate passers and ICMAI Final passers can too.
Training: ICSI lists a one-month Executive Development Programme and 21 months of practical training, with a minimum monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 or as set by the ICSI Council.
Professional Programme papers include compliance management, ESG, and electives such as labour laws, GST, or AI and cyber security laws.
Without CS, graduates can start as secretarial or compliance assistants and study alongside.
Pay varies widely by city, firm and skill, so compare several live openings.

How growth looked, and looks now

Earlier, about 2010 to 2019

Around 2010 to 2019, company secretaries mostly worked in company secretarial teams or ran small practices for private companies. Board papers were largely on paper and email, and filings went form by form through the MCA portal. The route was long and exam-heavy, and many students paired it with a commerce or law degree.

Now, 2025 and 2026

ICSI describes the CS as a governance role and lists roles such as Key Managerial Personnel, compliance officer, internal auditor and ESG and sustainability officer. Its Professional syllabus now includes ESG, compliance audit and due diligence, and an elective on AI, data analytics and cyber security laws. Rules and forms change often, so check MCA and ICSI sites.

What AI changes (medium exposure)

Three ways it could go by 2030

Steady path

This is a forecast, not a promise. Company law and listing rules keep growing, and boards keep needing a trusted person for governance. Tools draft minutes and track dates. Value moves to advice, ESG and board support. Keep up with company law and build writing and speaking skills.

If AI moves faster than expected

Drafting and filing could become mostly automatic, and small companies may rely on software with a professional's review. Move toward governance advice, risk, ESG and listed-company work where responsibility stays with a person. Learn a compliance tool and how to check its output.

If change is slower

Small and mid-size companies may keep using practising firms and in-house secretaries for meetings and filings much as now, so the qualification may stay relevant to compliance work. Keep building drafting skills and learn one compliance tool, so you are ready if clients change.

Where people go next

Senior company secretary
Company secretary and compliance officer
Head of legal and secretarial
Practising company secretary
ESG and sustainability officer

Questions people ask

What does a company secretary do?

A company secretary helps a company follow company law and run board and shareholder meetings properly. Many are also part of the company's senior management team. In a normal week: Prepare notices, agendas and minutes for board and shareholder meetings; File company forms and returns with the Registrar of Companies; Keep statutory registers and records up to date; Advise directors on company law and, in listed companies, on stock exchange and SEBI rules; Coordinate with auditors, lawyers and regulators; Track due dates for filings and approvals.

What skills and tools does a company secretary need in 2026?

Tools and technical skills: MCA portal (company e-forms); Digital signature certificates (DSC); Companies Act, 2013 and its rules; Stock exchange filing portals of BSE and NSE for listed companies; Word and PDF drafting with templates and tracked changes; Compliance calendars and tracking tools; Excel for registers and share records. Skills beyond technology that decide who grows: Discretion: you hear board talks that must stay private; Precise drafting: wrong wording in a resolution can cause real trouble; Polite firmness: you sometimes must tell directors that a step is not allowed; Organising: meetings, papers and filings all have fixed dates; Relationship building: the board listens to people it trusts.

How do you become a company secretary in India?

ICSI's route is CSEET (open after Class 12 or while appearing), then the Executive and Professional programmes; Graduates and postgraduates can register for the CS Executive Programme directly. ICAI Intermediate passers and ICMAI Final passers can too; Training: ICSI lists a one-month Executive Development Programme and 21 months of practical training, with a minimum monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 or as set by the ICSI Council; Professional Programme papers include compliance management, ESG, and electives such as labour laws, GST, or AI and cyber security laws; Without CS, graduates can start as secretarial or compliance assistants and study alongside; Pay varies widely by city, firm and skill, so compare several live openings.

How has the company secretary role changed?

Earlier (about 2010 to 2019): Around 2010 to 2019, company secretaries mostly worked in company secretarial teams or ran small practices for private companies. Board papers were largely on paper and email, and filings went form by form through the MCA portal. The route was long and exam-heavy, and many students paired it with a commerce or law degree. Now: ICSI describes the CS as a governance role and lists roles such as Key Managerial Personnel, compliance officer, internal auditor and ESG and sustainability officer. Its Professional syllabus now includes ESG, compliance audit and due diligence, and an elective on AI, data analytics and cyber security laws. Rules and forms change often, so check MCA and ICSI sites.

Will AI replace company secretary jobs? What is the future?

Drafting notices, minutes and resolutions from templates, and tracking due dates, can be helped by software and AI tools. They can miss a legal detail or a changed rule. What stays with people is advising directors, judging what applies to a company and taking responsibility for what is filed. Three ways the next few years could go. Steady path: This is a forecast, not a promise. Company law and listing rules keep growing, and boards keep needing a trusted person for governance. Tools draft minutes and track dates. Value moves to advice, ESG and board support. Keep up with company law and build writing and speaking skills. If AI moves faster than expected: Drafting and filing could become mostly automatic, and small companies may rely on software with a professional's review. Move toward governance advice, risk, ESG and listed-company work where responsibility stays with a person. Learn a compliance tool and how to check its output. If change is slower: Small and mid-size companies may keep using practising firms and in-house secretaries for meetings and filings much as now, so the qualification may stay relevant to compliance work. Keep building drafting skills and learn one compliance tool, so you are ready if clients change.

Sources

See live company secretary openings