The Bill and Its Author On 14 March 2026, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha introduced the Private Member’s Bill on Asset Tokenisation (Regulation) Bill, 2026 — India's first dedicated legislative proposal to govern blockchain-based real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation. Chadha, an AAP member and the youngest in the Upper House, had been building toward this for months. He first called for a bespoke tokenisation statute in December 2025, citing capital flight, land title chaos, and

Introduction   For decades, Indian companies navigating even the most routine regulatory missteps have found themselves queued behind insolvency giants and complex commercial disputes at an already overstretched National Company Law Tribunal (“ NCLT ”). That era, quietly but consequentially, is now drawing to a close.   The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (“ MCA ”) has introduced a major change in the way corporate law compliance will be handled in India. Through a series of of

Background: The Genesis of Press Note 3 (2020) The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented wave of global market volatility in early 2020. As equity valuations across Indian listed and unlisted companies fell sharply, the Indian government grew concerned about the risk of opportunistic acquisitions of strategically important Indian enterprises by state-affiliated or state-linked entities from neighbouring countries — in particular, the People's Republic of China.   In re

Executive Summary   The Government of India has, with effect from 5 February 2026, permitted 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indian insurance companies and insurance intermediaries. This reform, implemented through the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Act, 2025 and corresponding amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 (FEMA NDI Rules), represents the final and most significant step in a 25-year liberalisati

Introduction     The Union Budget 2026 marks a significant milestone for India’s electronics manufacturing sector, introducing a comprehensive policy framework aimed at positioning the country as a global electronics manufacturing powerhouse. Through strategic fiscal incentives, customs duty rationalisation, and the expansion of Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, the government has reinforced its commitment to strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities while bo

Executive Summary     India’s clean‑energy manufacturing landscape is entering a defining moment. The Union Budget 2026–27 signals a strategic shift toward building world‑class capabilities in EV battery production and solar panel manufacturing, two industries that will shape the country’s energy security and global competitiveness over the next decade. With a blend of customs duty reforms, significant capital investments, and targeted industrial schemes, the government is la

Executive Summary     India's data centre and cloud infrastructure sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by explosive data generation, digital transformation across industries, and fiscal incentives introduced in the Union Budget 2026. India generates approximately 20% of global data yet hosts only 5.5% of global data center capacity, creating a significant demand-supply gap and compelling investment opportunity.    The 21-year tax holiday, in effect until 2047,

Executive Summary     India's pharmaceutical sector continues to demonstrate robust growth momentum, with the market reaching USD 50.41 billion in 2024 and growing at approximately 10% annually. As the world's third-largest pharmaceutical market by volume and 11th largest value, India supplies approximately 20% of global generic medicine demand. The Union Budget 2026-27 introduces transformational measures aimed at positioning India as a global biologics and biosimilars hub t

Executive Summary     India's care economy sector stands at a transformative juncture, driven by rapid demographic aging and Budget 2026-27's landmark policy interventions. The geriatric care market, though fragmented and volatile, demonstrates significant long-term potential, with projections indicating substantial growth through 2033. The Union Budget 2026-27 introduces three critical initiatives aimed at formalising and scaling the care ecosystem: Divyang Sahara Yojana, Al

Executive Summary   The Budget 2026-2027 proposes significant relief to victims of motor vehicle accidents and their legal heirs by introducing a complete tax exemption on interest awarded by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) under the Motor Vehicles, 1988. This measure eliminates both the tax liability on such interest income and the requirement for Tax Deduction at Source (TDS), providing substantial financial and administrative relief to victims who are often not r

Employment and Workplace Use of AI     The use of Artificial Intelligence (“ AI ”) has evolved from a costly experimental technology into an essential, cost-effective operational mainstay for organisations across industries, including in India. It now drives tasks like resume screening, interview scheduling, performance reviews, job satisfaction analysis, attrition forecasting, and even redundancy determinations. Given India's intricate employment law framework spanning centr

Introduction     India’s regulatory ecosystem is proactively shaping AI governance without a standalone AI Act, leveraging robust sectoral frameworks to ensure innovation thrives alongside accountability. As of February 2026, there is no dedicated, comprehensive AI-specific legislation, with oversight emerging from the Information Technology Act, 2000, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and recent February 2026 amendments to IT Intermediary Rules targeting synthetica

From Policy Sutras to Sector Mandates: Mapping India's AI Governance     Artificial Intelligence regulation in India is evolving into a principle‑based, techno‑legal framework that balances innovation with safety. For the IndiaAI Mission, the Union Budget 2026-2027 allocated INR 1,000 Crore for developing sovereign foundational AI models, supporting startups, building compute capacity (GPUs), and fostering responsible AI, shifting the focus from new institutions to diffusing

I. Regulatory Characterisation of AI: Product, Service, or Infrastructure     A threshold legal question in assessing AI risk under Indian Law is the regulatory characterisation of artificial intelligence systems, specifically whether AI is to be treated as a product, a service, or a form of digital infrastructure. This classification is not merely academic; it directly determines the applicable liability standard, regulatory oversight, and enforceability of contractual risk

I. AI in Enterprise Contracts: Legal Framework     The use of AI within enterprises for productivity-related functions, including legal drafting, automated negotiation processes, and large-scale data analysis, is presently regulated in India through existing statutory frameworks rather than through any AI-specific legislation. Indian law does not yet recognise a distinct legal regime governing AI-enabled contracts or the general deployment of AI in commercial operations. None

NBFCs that do not require RBI registration in India 1. The starting point: when is registration required? A company is treated as an NBFC if it satisfies the principal business criteria (commonly referred to as the “50-50 test”) and carries on the business of a non-banking financial institution. If it qualifies as an NBFC, it ordinarily requires a Certificate of Registration (CoR) under section 45IA of the RBI Act, 1934. The RBI’s consolidated framework for this is set out in

Executive Summary   On September 15, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (“ RBI ”) issued a single, consolidated Master Direction (“ MD ”) to regulate Payment Aggregators (“ PAs ”) operating in India, bringing together rules for online, physical/point of sale and cross-border aggregation in a coherent framework. The MD applies to all banking, non-banking (Indian), and scheduled commercial banking entities that interact with the three categories of PAs: physical, online and cross-

Introduction The Reserve Bank of India (“ RBI ”), exercising the powers granted by the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, RBI Act, 1934 and the National Housing Bank Act, 1934, and in the public interest, issued the new Non-Fund-Based (“ NFB ”)   Credit Facilities Directions, 2025 (“ NFC Directions ”). These NFC Directions represent a landmark reform in the management of credit guarantees, letters of credit, and co-acceptances. The resultant overhaul aims to bring consistency, tra

The Indian Context: From Caution to Strategic Engagement   For over a decade, India's approach to foreign bank presence remained restrictive. Despite the 2005 roadmap allowing foreign banks to choose between branch and wholly owned subsidiary modes, not a single foreign bank selected the subsidiary route. The preference for branch presence reflected a fundamental asymmetry: foreign banks gained market access while India bore limited jurisdiction and control over these entitie

Introduction   The Reserve Bank of India’s Master Direction on Cash Reserve Ratio (“ CRR ”) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (“ SLR ”), 2025 (“ Directions ”) represents a recalibration of the liquidity regulation ecosystem that underpins India’s banking stability. This framework aims to consolidate a patchwork of circulars and notifications into a single, coherent directive bringing long-overdue clarity to two of the most foundational prudential tools in RBI’s monetary policy ar