After O.P. Bhatt, Coforge NRC chair D.K. Singh resigns amid board tensions

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The development comes just days after O.P. Bhatt abruptly stepped down as Chairman of Coforge following the internal audit’s findings that he and D.K. Singh withheld crucial board evaluation reports | Photo Credit: The Hindu

In another major boardroom fallout at Coforge, its non-executive independent director and Nomination and Remuneration Committee Chairperson D.K. Singh has resigned, alleging "differences and tension" between independent and executive directors.

The IT services firm, however, refuted Mr. Singh’s claims as "unfounded" and an "afterthought", saying his resignation followed an internal audit review that flagged governance lapses in how he and former Chairman O.P. Bhatt handled a board evaluation exercise.

The development comes just days after Mr. Bhatt abruptly stepped down as Chairman of Coforge following the internal audit’s findings that he and Mr. Singh withheld crucial board evaluation reports, including the lowest rating assigned to the Chairman’s category, from other board members.

Also read: Coforge to acquire controlling-stake in SLK Global for ₹918 cr.

The former State Bank of India chairman had also failed to secure the required 75% special resolution threshold at the company's Annual General Meeting on August 24 for his reappointment as independent director, securing only 65.47% of votes in favour.

Following Mr. Singh's resignation with immediate effect on Friday (September 11, 2026), the Coforge board has reconstituted its committees, designating Non-Executive Independent Director Beth Boucher as the new Chairperson of the NRC, the company said in a regulatory filing.

As interim Chair till January 31, 2027, Vivek Sharma will lead a global search to induct additional independent directors and oversee the election of a new board chair by January 31, 2027.

In his resignation email dated September 10, Singh stated that following the "unfortunate events of the past several weeks" and Mr. Bhatt's exit, he felt it was the appropriate time to step down.

“When I joined the Board in 2024, it was transitioning from a private equity-led Board to a more independent Board. While I believe that transition was moving in the right direction, it also created some differences and tension, particularly between the Independent and Executive Directors… Throughout my tenure, I have always believed that an independent director has a responsibility to ask thoughtful questions, provide independent judgement, and make decisions in the best long-term interests of the company and its shareholders.