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AKP Banking & Finance Digest January 19, 2026
We are delighted to share this week's AKP Banking & Finance Weekly Digest. Please feel free to write to us with your feedback at info@akandpartners.in. 1. Regulatory Updates 1.1. India Reserve Bank of India (RBI) 1.1.1. RBI issues Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantees) Regulations, 2026 Reserve Bank of India (“ RBI ”) on January 12, 2026, issued the Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantees) Regulations, 2026, introducing a principle-based framework under which guaran
AK & Partners
Jan 1918 min read
Strategic Governance Under RBI's (Commercial Banks – Undertaking Of Financial Services) Directions, 2025: Essential Insights For Investors And Promoters
Introduction The Reserve Bank of India (“ RBI ”) has, over time, moved from scattered circulars to a structured framework for regulating who may own shares in an Indian bank, how much they may own, and how far those shares may translate into voting power. The previous position for “banking companies” was set out in the Master Direction – Reserve Bank of India (Acquisition and Holding of Shares or Voting Rights in Banking Companies) Directions, 2023 (“ 2023 Directions ”), re
AK & Partners
Jan 168 min read
Understanding RBI (Authentication Mechanisms For Digital Payment Transactions) Directions, 2025: Obligations For Banks, NBFCs And Payment Providers
Introduction With the rapid growth of digital payments in India, safeguarding transactions has become one of our top priorities. On September 25, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (“ RBI ”) introduced new guidelines - RBI (Authentication mechanisms for digital payment transactions) Directions, 2025 (“ Directions 2025 ”) for authentication mechanisms for digital payment transactions. From April 1, 2026, all Payment System Providers and Payment System Participants, including bank
AK & Partners
Jan 156 min read
What RBI's Draft Lending To Related Parties Directions Mean For Next-Gen Governance In NBFCs
The Reserve Bank of India (“ RBI ”) has released its Draft Directions on Lending to Related Parties for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), 2025, inviting public feedback by October 31st, 2025. These proposed norms aim to tighten oversight, eliminate regulatory arbitrage, and bring India's NBFC sector closer to global standards of transparency and accountability. For banking and financial services industries, this is more than a compliance update, it's a strategic inflec
AK & Partners
Jan 124 min read
AKP Banking & Finance Digest January 12, 2026
We are delighted to share this week's AKP Banking & Finance Weekly Digest. Please feel free to write to us with your feedback at info@akandpartners.in. 1. Regulatory Updates 1.1. India Reserve Bank of India (RBI) 1.1.1. RBI issues Amendment Directions on lending to related parties by Regulated Entities Reserve Bank of India (“ RBI ”) issued multiple “Amendment Directions, 2026” to update existing credit risk management and financial statements (presentation and disclo
AK & Partners
Jan 1220 min read
Strengthening The Core: Key Changes In RBI's Commercial Bank Governance Directions 2025
The Reserve Bank of India's (“ RBI ”) Commercial Banks – Governance Directions, 2025 (“Directions”) mark a decisive shift in how Indian banks are expected to approach power, responsibility, and risk. Far from being a mere consolidation of circulars, Directions aim to transform governance from a checklist exercise into an institutional culture rooted in independence, accountability, and an explicit alignment between risk and reward. A New Architecture of Accountability The Dir
AK & Partners
Jan 126 min read
Why 'No Oral Modification Clauses' Matter More Than Ever? Lessons From The Supreme Court's Ruling In SEPCO-GMR Case
Introduction The Supreme Court in the case SEPCO Electric Power Construction Corporation vs GMR Kamalanga Energy Limited, addressed the scope and limits of judicial interference under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The Court reaffirmed the foundational principle of commercial arbitration that arbitral awards must strictly remain within the parameters of the agreement between parties. The judgment is a significant contribution to the evolving jurisprudence under t
AK & Partners
Jan 124 min read
AKP Corporate & Compliance Digest January 12, 2026
We are delighted to share this week's AKP Corporate & Compliance Weekly Digest. Please feel free to write to us with your feedback at info@akandpartners.in. 1. Labour Law 1.1. MoLE issues FAQs to clarify flexible, worker-centric compliance under the Social Security Rules A frequently asked questions (FAQs) note on the Social Security Rules clarifies that processes are designed to be digital-first for transparency and ease of access, but physical submissi
AK & Partners
Jan 125 min read
RBI's Universal Bank Guidelines 2025: Key Strategic Shifts In Governance, Capital And Innovation
Overview The Reserve Bank of India (Universal Banks - Licensing) Guidelines, 2025 (“ Guidelines ”) represent a significant update to India's banking licensing system regime. These Guidelines are a revised consolidation of the guidelines issued on February 22, 2013, for Licensing of New Banks in the Private Sector and guidelines for ‘On Tap' Licensing of Universal Banks in the Private Sector, 2016. What's new this time is a most transparent process for private bank licences an
AK & Partners
Jan 128 min read
Term Sheet Enforcement & Deal-Making Risks: Key Legal Insights From The OYO-Zostel Case
The enforceability of term sheets in Indian commercial transactions has emerged as a nuanced legal question with far-reaching industry ramifications. The recent judicial pronouncement in Oravel Stays Private Limited (OYO) v. Zostel Hospitality Private Limited by the Delhi High Court has provided renewed clarity concerning the boundaries of contractual intent at the pre-agreement stage. So, when does a “non-binding” term sheet metamorphose into a binding contract? More importa
AK & Partners
Jan 108 min read
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