What Changed
Until now, a housing society's general body meetings, the AGM and any Special General Body Meeting (SGBM), had to be conducted in person. Some temporary, pandemic-era circulars permitted virtual AGMs during 2020-21, but those were emergency measures, not a permanent change to the rules.
Chapter XI-B of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Rules, 1961, inserted by the 2026 amendment effective 30 June 2026, makes video conferencing a permanent, standing option for general body meetings. Members can now join and participate in a GBM remotely, at the society's option, instead of the earlier position where physical presence was the only way to attend.
What Exactly Is Permitted
Members may join a general body meeting through video conferencing and participate, including voting, provided the society has a mechanism in place to verify who is attending and to record votes accurately. This is not a free-for-all, informally joining a WhatsApp video call does not satisfy the rule; the society needs a proper process for identity verification and vote recording.
Importantly, video conferencing is offered as an addition to an in-person meeting, not a replacement for one. The society should still hold the meeting at a physical venue with notice given in the usual way, and simply extend the option to attend virtually to members who cannot be present in person.
What a Society Must Set Up Before Offering Video Conferencing
A handful of practical building blocks need to be in place before a society can safely rely on this option:
- A video conferencing platform that lets the society confirm each participant's identity against the membership record before granting access.
- A way to record attendance electronically for members joining virtually, separate from the physical sign-in register used at the venue.
- A mechanism to record votes accurately from virtual attendees, whether by a poll feature, a show-of-hands equivalent, or a structured e-voting process, and to consolidate those votes with the in-person tally.
- Meeting notices that clearly state both the physical venue and the video conferencing link or joining instructions, sent with the same advance notice period as a regular GBM.
- A quorum-counting process that includes verified virtual attendees alongside those present physically.
Managing a housing society?
Auto-generate bye-law compliant bills, track collections, and produce audit-ready reports — free for societies up to 50 flats.
Get started freeDoes This Apply to AGMs Only, or Other Meetings Too?
Chapter XI-B's video conferencing provision covers general body meetings broadly, which includes both the Annual General Meeting and any Special General Body Meeting called during the year, not just the AGM.
One category of SGBM, a meeting called to consider redevelopment, has its own additional set of procedural requirements under the same amendment, including a longer notice period, a higher quorum, presence of a Registrar's representative, and mandatory video recording of the proceedings. Video conferencing participation and the redevelopment-specific video recording requirement are two separate things, one is about how members attend, the other is about creating a tamper-proof record of a high-stakes meeting.
What Societies Should Do Now
A few concrete steps to start offering video conferencing responsibly:
- Update your GBM notice template to include both the physical venue and video conferencing joining details.
- Pick a video platform and document the process for verifying attendee identity before the next GBM.
- Decide, and record in the minutes, how virtual votes will be counted alongside in-person votes.
- Brief the Secretary and any committee member chairing meetings on the new attendance and voting workflow before relying on it for a contested resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can members vote through video conferencing, or only watch the meeting?
Members can join and vote through video conferencing under the new rule, provided the society has a mechanism in place to verify attendance and record votes accurately. A society that has not set this up should not treat informal video access as a substitute for a proper voting process.
Is a society required to offer video conferencing for its GBMs?
No. The rule makes it an option the society can choose to offer, not a mandatory requirement for every meeting.
Can a society hold a GBM entirely online with no physical venue?
The rule frames video conferencing as an addition to an in-person meeting rather than a replacement for one, so societies should continue to hold a physical venue and offer virtual participation alongside it. If your society wants to explore a fully virtual format, confirm with the Registrar's office first.
Do virtual attendees count toward quorum?
Yes, provided the society's verification mechanism satisfies the rule's requirements. Get this confirmed in writing with your Deputy Registrar if your society is relying on virtual attendance to make quorum for a contested meeting.
Is video recording mandatory for every GBM, or only for redevelopment meetings?
Mandatory video recording is a specific requirement for Special General Body Meetings called to consider redevelopment. It is not stated as a general requirement for routine AGMs or other GBMs, though a society is always free to record its meetings as good practice.
Explore in SocietyBee
Official & Reference Sources
Yogesh Randive
Founder, SocietyBee
Yogesh built SocietyBee after spending years helping housing societies in Mumbai manage accounts in Excel. He writes about Maharashtra co-operative law, society accounting, and the practical realities of running a housing society in India.