In the wake of recent financial scandals and in the context of the global financial crisis, corporate governance is especially significant. We examine the effect of corporate governance practices on the performance of 106 mid-sized firms in India, between 2005 and 2007. Our results confirm a significant relationship between CEO duality and firm performance. We also find that a small board is more effective and enhances the value of the firm. However, in the Indian context, we find that non-executive independent directors are failing in their monitoring role.