Tax alerts

12 August 2026

The Supreme Court (SC) of India has held that income from the sale of cruise packages and shore excursions in India would be covered under the presumptive taxation regime under section 44B of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (ITA) [corresponding to section 61 of Income-tax Act, 2025].

5 August 2026

The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced and tabled in the Lok Sabha on 4 August 2026.

21 July 2026

The Mauritian cabinet has approved and ratified the Protocol amending the India-Mauritius tax treaty on 17 July 2026, which was signed on 7 March 2024.

17 July 2026

The Bombay High Court (HC) has held that assessment proceedings would stand abated where an Order Giving Effect (OGE) is not passed within the prescribed time limit.

8 July 2026

The Mumbai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that absence of a separate approval from the Central Government cannot be grounds to deny the concessional tax rate of 10% on Fees for Technical Services (FTS).

7 July 2026

The Chennai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that transfer of shares by non-resident taxpayer, of its wholly owned Indian subsidiary (WOS), to another WOS, was a bona fide transaction exempt under the Income-tax Act, 1961.

2 July 2026

The Delhi Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that since UK partnership firm is tax transparent, the tax liability of each partner has to be examined with reference to tax treaty with country of respective residence.

24 June 2026

The Delhi High Court (HC) based on facts, has held that the reimbursement received by the taxpayer on account of secondment of employees is taxable as Fees for Technical Services (FTS) under Article 12 of the India-USA tax treaty.

10 June 2026

The Mumbai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that capital gains on sale of minority shares of Indian real estate companies, are covered by Article 14(6) [residuary provision] and not Article 14(4) [relating to alienation of shares deriving value from immovable property] of the India-Spain tax treaty, as the taxpayer did not have any right of enjoyment, control or disposal over the immovable properties held by such companies.

5 June 2026

The government has issued an ordinance on 5 June 2026 amending Schedule IV of the Income-tax Act, 2025 to provide exemption to Foreign Institutional Investors and Bank for International Settlements, from interest and capital gains income earned on government securities.

5 June 2026

The Delhi High Court (HC) has held that taxpayers were only owners of the shares of a company incorporated in British Virgin Islands (A Co), and not the owners of the property (in London) held by A Co.

2 June 2026

The Government of Haryana has formally notified the Make in Haryana Industrial Policy, 2026 through the Haryana Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 80-2026/Ext. dated 26 May 2026.

2 June 2026

The Government of Haryana has notified the Haryana Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy 2026, vide the Haryana Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 81-2026/Ext. dated 27 May 2026.

19 May 2026

The Delhi Bench of Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that testing services in the nature of marker analysis and double haploid testing provided by taxpayer, is taxable as royalty under Article 12(4) of India-Netherlands tax treaty as the consideration was towards the information and knowledge developed out of technology and scientific experience imparted by the taxpayer.

12 May 2026

The Delhi Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that buy-back of shares by the subsidiary from its holding company results in transfer of shares within the same corporate group and hence, qualifies as a ‘corporate reorganization’ and hence eligible for tax benefit under Article 13(5) of the India-Netherlands tax treaty. 

05 May 2026

The Delhi High Court (HC) has held that buyback of own shares by taxpayer company is not taxable under section 56(2)(x) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 as such brought back shares are required to be physically cancelled and extinguished, resulting in the property itself ceasing to exist. 

13 April 2026

Lok Sabha has passed Finance Bill, 2026 with certain amendments.

2 April 2026

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has amended Rule 10U of the Income-tax Rules, 1962 and Rule 128 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026 [relating to GAAR provisions not being applicable in certain cases] by way of a notification.

2 April 2026

The government has notified Income-Tax Rules, 2026 and related Forms which are effective from 1 April 2026.

16 March 2026

The Delhi High Court (HC) has, based on facts of the case, held that sponsorship/advertisement payment to a Singapore entity which included payment for right to use trademarks, shall constitute ‘royalty’.

6 March 2026

The Chennai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has, based on facts of the case, held that the taxpayer trust was created only for the exclusive benefit of the relatives, including the settler himself and hence, the property (shares) received from a settler (individual) was not taxable under section 56(2)(x) of the Income-tax Act 1961 (ITA).

24 February 2026

The government has issued a press release dated 23rd February 2026 relating to the Protocol amending the India-France tax treaty.

16 February 2026

The government has released the Draft Income-Tax Rules, 2026, for public feedback.

12 February 2026

The Supreme Court (SC) has held that head office expenditure incurred by non-resident towards its Indian branch comes under the ambit of section 44C of the Income-tax Act 1961 (ITA), irrespective of whether it is a ‘common expenditure’ or expenditure incurred ‘exclusively’ for Indian branches. The SC further held that ‘executive and general administrative expenditure’ would only cover expenses specifically mentioned in respective clauses under explanation to section 44C of the ITA.

30 January 2026

The Supreme Court (SC) has held that non-compete fees payment could not be considered for acquisition of any capital asset or towards bringing into existence a new profit earning apparatus and hence, is an allowable revenue expenditure under section 37(1) of the Income tax Act, 1961.

23 January 2026

On 5 January 2026, the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), through a notification (1) issued under Section 12 of the IFSCA Act, 2019, announced that operating leases — including hybrid arrangements combining operating and financial leases — for oilfield equipment, will now be classified as financial products.

17 January 2026

The Supreme Court (SC) has held that the advance ruling application filed by the taxpayers related to transactions that were, prima facie, structured for tax avoidance and were rightly rejected. Accordingly, capital gains arising from the transfer of shares effected after 1 April 2017 are liable to tax in India.

13 January 2026

The Supreme Court (SC) has clarified that the exemption under Section 47(vii) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (ITA), on receipt of the amalgamated company’s shares is available only where the amalgamating company’s shares are held by the shareholder as “capital assets”. 

8 January 2026

The Maharashtra government has notified the Maharashtra Industries, Investment and Services Policy 2025 on 31 December 2025. The policy's vision centres on establishing Maharashtra as a premier global business destination, aiming to attract substantial investments, foster innovation and accelerate technology adoption.

10 October 2025

The NITI Aayog has released the first working paper ‘NITI Tax Policy Working Paper Series–I - “Enhancing Tax Certainty in Permanent Establishment and Profit Attribution for Foreign Investors in India.”

19 September 2025

The Bombay High Court (HC) has held that payments to consultant doctors, come under the purview of section 194J of the Income-tax Act 1961 (ITA) as professionals and not as employees under section 192 of the ITA, as there did not exist an employer‑employee relationship.

30 June 2025

The Government of India introduced the scheme to promote manufacturing of electric passengers cars in India (SPMEPCI) in March 2024 to attract investments from global electric vehicles (EV) manufacturers, generate employment opportunities, achieve the goal of ‘Make in India’ and promote India as a manufacturing destination for EV.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has released the operating guidelines for the scheme on 2 June 2025. The application window is open from 24 June 2025 and will remain active till 21 October 2025.
 

10 July 2025

The Mumbai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal has held that in case of a commercial property which is vacant for the whole year, its annual value is to be taken as ‘Nil’ under section 23(1)(c) of Income-tax Act (ITA).

 

8 July 2025

The Delhi Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), based on facts, has held that the taxpayer was entitled to benefit under Article 13(4) of the India-Mauritius tax treaty in respect of capital gains from sale of shares of an Indian company, prior to 1 April 2017.
 

21 July 2025

The Lok Sabha has tabled the suggestions received from the Select Committee report in the Income-tax Bill, 2025 with certain changes.

 

23 July 2025

The Mumbai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that waiver of deferred sales tax liability [in excess of Net Present value (NPV)] holds the character of revenue under section 2(24)(xviii) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (ITA) and thus, amounts to benefit taxable under section 28(iv) of the ITA.
 

24 July 2025

The Mumbai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal has held that interest on refunds is to be calculated by first adjusting the amount of refund already granted towards the interest component and the balance, if any, shall be adjusted towards the tax component.
 

25 July 2025

The Supreme Court (SC) has held that business carried on by a UAE-based taxpayer, through hotel premises in India, by exercising substantive operational control and implementation over business operations, constitutes fixed place permanent establishment (PE) in terms of Article 5(1) of the India-UAE tax treaty.

 

5 August 2025

The Hyderabad Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that based on the facts of the case, the goodwill created on account of amalgamation of the taxpayer with its wholly owned subsidiary, was not real or genuine. Hence, the taxpayer was not entitled to depreciation on the same.
 

14 August 2025

Parliament has passed the Income-tax (No. 2) Bill, 2025 on 12 August 2025.
 

18 August 2025

The Parliament has passed the Taxation Laws Bill, 2025, to amend the Income-tax Act, 1961 and the Finance Act, 2025.
 

26 August 2025

The Mumbai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that provisions of MLI (multilateral instrument) cannot be brought into the relevant tax treaty in the absence of a specific notification by the government, under section 90(1) of the Income-tax Act, 1961. Further, it was also held that the taxpayer was formed in Ireland for commercial objectives and not to principally obtain tax benefit under the tax treaty. Hence the taxpayer is entitled to benefit under the India-Ireland tax treaty.

29 August 2025

The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Petitioner against the ruling of the Gujarat Hugh Court (HC), wherein it was held that pre-deposit under central excise law is mandatory for filing appeal before the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), even in the case of financial hardship.
 

2 September 2025

The Delhi Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that Optionally Convertible Debentures (OCDs) and Compulsory Convertible Debentures (CCDs) are akin to ‘bonds’, and hence interest earned on such OCDs/CCDs would be eligible for concessional tax rate under section 194LD of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (ITA).

10 September 2025

The Bombay High Court has rendered its decision that ITAT cannot rectify its original order [under section 254(2) of the Income-tax Act, 1961] based on a subsequent ruling by the Supreme Court.
 

11 September 2025

The Chennai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that salary received in India, for administrative convenience, by a non-resident employee, in respect of services rendered in China is not taxable in India under Article 15 of India-China tax treaty.
 

25 September 2025

The Delhi High Court (HC) has held that non-disclosure of investor names in the original trust deed did not render a trust indeterminate for tax purposes; the taxpayer (a Category III AIF) was a determinate trust as the identity of investors and their income share was determined in accordance with the contribution agreements executed post the Trust Deed.
 

25 September 2025

The Hyderabad Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal has rendered its decision that a taxpayer would be eligible for exemption under section 54EC of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (ITA), on sale of land which was part of slump sale covered under section 50B of the ITA.
 

4 June 2025

The Delhi Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal, based on facts of the case and on documents on record, has rendered its decision that the taxpayer was eligible for exemption under Article 13 of the India-Cyprus tax treaty for the sale of shares. 

9 June 2025

The Supreme Court has held that the provisions of section 80-IA(9) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (ITA) do not affect the computation of deduction, but merely restrict the allowability of deductions computed under any other provisions under heading ‘C’ of Chapter-VI-A, to the extent of profits and gains of the business.

 

12 June 2025

The Mumbai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has rendered its decision that Rights Entitelement (RE) is not covered under Article 13(4) and Article 13(5) of the India-Ireland tax treaty; it falls under Article 13(6) and is taxable only in the resident state i.e. Ireland. 

13 June 2025

The newly unveiled Global Capability Centre (GCC) policy, marks a transformative step in positioning Uttar Pradesh (UP) as a premier destination for GCCs. The policy aims to make the state, the innovation nerve centre for India, helping companies establish centres of excellence (‘CoE’) in emerging sectors such as advanced manufacturing, digital engineering, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.
 

16 June 2025

The Special Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that private discretionary trusts whose income is chargeable to tax at maximum marginal rate (MMR), surcharge has to be computed on the income-tax having reference to the respective slab rates prescribed in the Finance Act.

8 September 2026 

The Bombay High Court has held that refund of the statutory pre-deposit attributable to the portion of demand dropped in appeal by the Appellate Authority, cannot be denied merely because the taxpayer intends to challenge the remaining demand before the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).

4 September 2026 

The Supreme Court has held that a show cause notice (SCN) issued under Section 74 of the CGST Act cannot be sustained where the notice merely contains a generic allegation of "fraud or concealment of facts" without setting out the basis for such allegations.

25 August 2026 

The Delhi High Court has reiterated that the Supreme Court judgement emphasized the functionality test and held that for a structure to be qualified as a "plant", it needs determination based on the facts of each case.

24 August 2026 

The Karnataka High Court has held that CENVAT credit transitioned to GST regime can be validly utilised for making the mandatory pre-deposit under section 35F of Central Excise Act (CEA) for legacy service tax matters.

20 August 2026 

The Delhi High Court has held that mere uploading of GST notices or orders on the GST portal, the common portal, does not constitute valid service under GST law and cannot, by itself, justify ex parte adjudication or trigger limitation for filing an appeal.

18 August 2026 

The Gujarat High Court has held that corporate guarantees provided by holding companies to subsidiary companies, is a taxable supply.

13 August 2026 

Rule 96(10) of the CGST Rules 2017, provided for a bar on availment of the refund of integrated tax (IGST) paid on export of goods or services, if benefits of certain specified concessional/exemption notifications were availed on goods imported or procured domestically.

12 August 2026 

DGFT introduces a new inventory-based e-commerce export framework under FTP 2023, effective immediately.

5 August 2026 

The Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) has, vide Office Order No. 4/GSTAT/PB/2026 dated 29 July 2026 ('Order'), reconstituted certain Benches and revised the previous classification of cases effective from 1 August 2026.

29 July 2026 

The Supreme Court has upheld the Gujarat High Court judgement that input tax credit (ITC) would be denied to recipients where supplier fails to deposit GST. While the Hon’ble Tripura High Court decision had read down the provision and allowed ITC in bonafide cases, it has been distinguished by the Hon’ble Supreme Court on the ground that evaluation of legal framework of GST law was not carried out in that case.

19 June 2026 

On 24 July 2025, India and the United Kingdom signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a landmark pact that significantly liberalizes tariffs and enhances market access between the two economies.   

15 June 2026 

The Delhi GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) has held that procurement services provided on own account as an independent contractor, did not qualify as intermediary services, as they were provided on a principal-toprincipal basis.   

12 June 2026 

A division bench of the Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark judgment that has effectively brought a long-running tax controversy involving real-money gaming industry to a close.   

11 June 2026 

The Karnataka High Court has held that GST exemption on healthcare services under Notification No. 12/2017-CT (Rate) would continue to apply where such services are provided by a hospital to the patients of another hospital, under a service agreement.   

27 May 2026 

The Andhra Pradesh High Court and the Bombay High Court have held that affiliation fees and NOC charges collected by universities, being in discharge of statutory functions, do not qualify as “supply” and therefore are not subject to GST.   

21 May 2026

The Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) has, vide Office Order No. 3/GSTAT/PB/2026 (‘Order’), provided state-wise constitution of Benches, bifurcation of matters for hearing into three categories and specified category-wise operational allocation to the Benches.  

15 May 2026

The Bombay High Court has held that damages paid pursuant to an arbitral award would not amount to “supply” under GST law.

14 May 2026

The Bombay High Court has ruled that corporate guarantees issued without consideration on behalf of group companies do not constitute a taxable supply under GST. 

 

12 May 2026

The Gujarat High Court has held that input tax credit (ITC) is a conditional statutory entitlement contingent upon actual payment of tax by the supplier under section 16(2)(c) of Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017

 

7 May 2026

The Bombay High Court has quashed the GST show cause notice (SCN) and adjudication order issued against a merged entity that had ceased to exist pursuant to amalgamation, holding such proceedings to be without jurisdiction and void ab-initio.

28 April 2026

On 27 April 2026, India and New Zealand signed the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (IN–NZ FTA), marking a key milestone in India’s engagement with developed economies. The agreement provides 100% dutyfree access for Indian exports to New Zealand and covers areas such as trade-in-goods, services, investment, rules of origin, and trade facilitation. The detailed text of the agreement has been released and the key features and implications outlined

20 April 2026

India’s Customs and indirect tax framework governing the import of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (‘APIs’) has historically been affected by interpretational divergences, particularly where imports occur for non-commercial purposes such as clinical trials, bioavailability studies, or bioequivalence assessments. 

7 February 2026 

India–United States (‘U.S.’) trade relations have gradually shifted from a transactional engagement toward a more strategic economic partnership. At the same time, the relationship has remained shaped by persistent challenges around market access and reciprocal tariffs. In this context, India and the US signed the terms of reference for a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (‘BTA’) in April 2025. Since then, negotiations have seen several ups and downs, reflecting both commercial sensitivities and broader strategic considerations on both sides. 

27 January 2026

India and the European Union (EU) on 27 January 2026, jointly announced the conclusion of the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement (India-EU FTA) at the 16th India–EU Summit held in New Delhi.

14 January 2026

The High Court (HC) of Tripura has held that the recipient would be eligible to claim input tax credit (ITC) where tax has been paid to the supplier and benefit of ITC cannot be denied to the recipient due to default on the part of supplier to deposit tax. Applying the principle of reading down, the HC held that Section 16(2)(c) of the CGST
Act should only be applied where the transaction is found to be not bona fide or is a collusive/fraudulent transaction to defraud the revenue.

9 January 2026

Supreme Court (SC) has set aside the CESTAT (Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal) order and held that aluminium shelving, imported for mushroom cultivation, is correctly classified as ‘Aluminium Structures’ under Customs Tariff Item (CTI) 76109010; the classification under CTI 84369900 (parts of agricultural machinery) has been rejected.

24 December 2025

The larger bench of CESTAT has held that unutilized credit of education cess (EC), secondary and higher education cess (SHEC) and Krishi Kalyan Cess (KKC) (cess) cannot be transitioned to GST regime and refund of unutilized credit of cess cannot be claimed.

23 December 2025

The Gauhati High Court (HC) has read down amendment to Section 16(2)(aa) of the Central Goods and Service Tax, 2017 (CGST Act) introduced w.e.f. 01 January 2022, which prescribes the condition for reporting of invoice/debit note by the supplier in GSTR-1 return and also in turn gets communicated to the recipient. The HC held that input tax credit (ITC) benefits cannot be denied to a bona fide purchaser due to supplier non-compliance.

17 October 2025

The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld that bona fide purchasing dealers are entitled to input tax credit (ITC) where tax was paid to registered sellers, irrespective of the sellers’ subsequent default in depositing the tax.

18 July 2025

The Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024 (OTR) is a regulatory framework introduced to mandate Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for a wide range of industrial machinery and electrical equipment. It was released on 28 August 2024 and is scheduled to come into effect from 1 September 2026.

In view of the same, the BIS has released detailed guidelines for the grant of such certification under Scheme-X for products covered under the OTR. These guidelines are applicable to both domestic and foreign manufacturers and are aimed at ensuring conformity to safety and technical standards. 

25 July 2025

The Bombay High Court allows inter-state transfer of unutilized Input Tax Credit (ITC) of Integrated GST and Central GST, from transferor company located in one state to the transferee company, located in another state, post-amalgamation.
 

25 July 2025

The Karnataka High Court (HC) quashed GST demand on salaries paid to seconded employees by the petitioner as the same does not constitute a taxable supply of manpower services.

 

25 July 2025

The Madras High Court (HC) has held that the GST law permits only for issuance of show cause notice (SCN) based on the tax period which may be based on monthly return or annual return. It has been observed that SCN cannot be clubbed and issued for more than one financial year since the same is impermissible in law.

5 August 2025

The Patna High Court has clarified that the limitation period of two years for claiming refund of GST wrongly collected and paid to the Government, would start from the date of payment of correct tax and not from the date of payment of wrong tax.
 

11 August 2025

The Delhi High Court (HC) has upheld the validity of a consolidated show cause notice (SCN) for multiple financial years in a case of fraudulent availment / utilization of input tax credit.
 

12 August 2025

The Kerala Authority of Advance Ruling has held that input tax credit shall be eligible in respect of construction of freshwater storage tank and effluent guard pond, that holds an integral role in the manufacturing process, subject to its classification as ‘plant and machinery’ and its integral use in manufacturing process.
 

12 August 2025

The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the Revenue’s special leave petitions (SLPs) challenging the Delhi High Court (HC) judgment which had held mobile towers to be in nature of ‘movable property’ and eligible for input tax credit (ITC).
 

14 August 2025

The Gujarat Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling (AAAR) has held that input tax credit (ITC) shall be eligible on inputs and input services used for construction of concrete tower supporting the manufacturing activities of the appellant.
 

19 August 2025

The Supreme court (SC) has held that the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017 does not permit issuance of a second provisional attachment order after the initial order has lapsed after expiry of a year.
 

25 August 2025

Delhi High Court remands matter to adjudicating authority to reconsider ITC eligibility post SC judgement on Safari Retreats

20 August 2025

The Supreme Court (SC) has held that the issuance of a summons does not constitute "initiation of any proceedings" under the GST law. It has provided guidelines to be followed by taxpayers and tax authorities to avoid overlapping inquiries or investigations on the “same subject matter” and avoid duplication of proceedings.

22 August 2025

The Supreme Court (SC) has held that the proper office is mandatorily required to issue a final reasoned order in respect of detention of goods under GST law, regardless of payment of tax / penalty by the taxpayer to preserve the right to appeal. 

12 September 2025

The division bench of Sikkim High Court has ruled that refund of unutilized input tax credit (ITC) is not permissible in the event of business closure under the GST law, thereby overruling a single bench order which permitted the refund.
 

30 September 2025

The Bombay High Court at Goa (HC) has held that the taxpayer is entitled to claim refund of unutilized input tax credit (ITC) of compensation cess on export of goods undertaken with payment of IGST.                                      

6 June 2025

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has notified Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Rules, 2025 to further amend the Special Economic Zones Rules, 2006.

 

13 July 2026

The Mumbai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has held that the taxpayer was not entitled to carry forward and set off business losses and unabsorbed depreciation, as the mandatory requirement for the resulting company to issue shares to the shareholders of the demerged company was not met (the holding company could not issue shares on behalf of its subsidiary).

16 January 2026

Amendment of the definition of “Small Company” increases financial thresholds for paid-up capital and turnover, thereby expanding the scope of companies eligible for lesser compliances and regulatory exemptions.

5 January 2026

Repealing and Amending Act, 2025 removes the mandatory probate requirement under Section 213 of the Indian Succession Act.

2 July 2025

The Madras High Court (HC) has held that, based on facts, the fair market value (FMV) of the asset on the date of distribution to shareholders pursuant to liquidation should be taken as the cost of acquisition while computing capital gains on transfer of such asset.

 

29 June 2026

The Department of Telecommunications ("DoT") has notified the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules 2026 ("Principal Rules"), Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Miscellaneous Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026 ("Miscellaneous Rules") and Telecommunications (Authorisation for Captive Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026 ("Captive Rules") on 24 June, 2026 and Telecommunications (Terms and Conditions for Migration) Rules, 2026 (“Migration Rules”) on 23 June, 2026.

18 May 2026

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has notified amendments to the Reserve Bank of India (Non-Banking Financial Companies – Registration, Exemptions, and Framework for Scale Based Regulation) Directions, 2025 (Amendment Directions 2026) exempting RBI registration requirements for low risk NBFCs.

04 May 2026

Ministry of Finance has notified amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 (NDI Rules) vide notifications of Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, dated 1 May 2026 and Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026 dated 2 May 2026.

 

24 April 2026

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), under sub-section (4) of section 8 and subsections (1) and (2) of section 19 of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, has notified the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026. Through these Rules, the Ministry has sought to put in place a comprehensive regulatory framework for India’s online gaming ecosystem

11 March 2026

On 10th March 2026, the Union Cabinet approved modifications to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) guidelines governing investments from countries sharing a land border with India (land bordering countries or LBCs).

20 February 2026

The Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1), clauses (z) and (zg) of sub section (2) of section 87 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 Telecommunications Act, 2023 (44 of 2023) has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 (“2026 Amendment Rules”) vide Gazette notification number G.S.R. 120(E), dated 10th February, 2026, which shall come into force on 20th February 2026.

06 February 2026

The Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) has notified the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026, vide Notification No. FEMA 23(R)/2026-RB, dated January 13, 2026 (“FEMA Export and Import Regulations, 2026”).

03 October 2025

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (‘EPFO’) has provided on its website that a revamped Electronic Challan-cum-Return (‘ECR’) will be introduced from September 2025 onwards. EPFO has also provided the user manual for the new re-engineered ECR module.

30 June 2025

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a circular dated 26 June 2025 revising the Industry Standards, superseding the earlier version issued on 14 February 2025.

In response to substantive feedback from various industry stakeholders, SEBI has revised the Industry Standards with a heightened focus on the nature and materiality of Related Party Transactions (RPTs). The intent is to bring an optimal balance – ensuring robust regulatory oversight while simultaneously fostering ease of doing business, reinforcing sound corporate governance principles. 

3 July 2025

The Union Cabinet has approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme to boost job creation, especially in the manufacturing sector. The scheme aims to generate over 3.5 crore jobs in two years (from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2027), including 1.92 crore first-time employees.
 

7 July 2025

The Gujarat High Court allows refund in case of export transactions where foreign currency is received net of forex payments, as per RBI approval, which is also certified by independent Chartered Accountant.
 

22 August 2025

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, was passed by the Parliament on 21 August 2025, marking a significant legislative development in India’s online gaming sector. The Bill aims to provide a legal framework to ban online money games, while simultaneously promoting and regulating e-sports, educational, and social gaming. The intent of the legislation is to shield citizens, particularly youth and economically vulnerable individuals, from the financial, psychological, and societal harm associated with gambling and addictive digital platforms.
 

1 September 2025

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has published a policy for sharing data from the National Transport Repository (NTR), establishing a structured framework for transport-related data to be shared with governmental bodies, enforcement agencies, academicians, citizens and the private sector, while ensuring compliance with applicable laws and with necessary safeguards. The policy seeks to balance data sharing and compliance with data protection laws, particularly the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).
 

15 September 2025

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) recently issued a circular to simplify the process of settlement of claim of a deceased member by relaxing the requirement to furnish a Guardianship Certificate, subject to conditions.
 

17 October 2025

In a landmark ruling, the Madras High Court has adjudged that employees of exempted establishments are also entitled to higher pension under the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 (‘EPS 1995’), irrespective of the restrictive Provident Fund (‘PF’) Trust Rules. The Hon’ble Madras High Court has set aside an Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (‘EPFO’) circular dated 18 January 2025 and directed acceptance of joint option applications (filed up to 31 January 2025) with permission to re-deposit differential contributions along with interest, for availing higher pension benefit.

23 October 2025

The Ministry of Labour & Employment issued a press release on 13 October 2025 on simplification and liberalization of EPF partial withdrawal provisions, introduction of Vishwas scheme to reduce litigation, and providing digital life certificate services (DLC) to pensioners, among other initiatives.

16 September 2026

We are pleased to enclose our alert on a recent ruling of the Hon'ble Karnataka High Court (the Court) in the consolidated appeal by SAP Labs India Private Limited¹ and other taxpayers, dealing with the extent of Court’s intervention on issues relating to comparability analysis and on the different aspects of comparability analysis while determining the arm’s length price.

31 July 2026

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (“CBDT”) has published its eighth annual report on the Advance Pricing Agreement (APA) Programme for FY 2025-26. The report provides various statistical details about the APAs executed and pending during the FY 2025-26, as well since the inception of the APA program in 2012.

27 July 2026

We are pleased to share our alert on the recent ruling of the Hon'ble Mumbai Tribunal in the case of JSW Jaigarh Port Ltd., which addresses the transfer pricing implications for specified domestic transactions and reinforces the principle of consistency in the determination of arm's length pricing, where one of the transacting entities has already been accepted to be operating at arm's length.

27 July 2026

We are pleased to enclose our alert on a recent ruling of the Hon'ble Chennai Tribunal in the case of Heidelberg India (P.) Ltd., dealing with significant transfer pricing issues relating to benchmarking during the COVID-19 period and determination of arm's length price (ALP) of management service charges.

9 July 2026

The Bombay High Court has ruled that pursuant to APA conclusion, the India AE raised an invoice on the foreign entity, the foreign entity repaid the excess royalty income to its Indian AE, and hence, was eligible to claim refund of the tax paid on such excess royalty income which was offered to tax.

16 February 2026

In accordance with the announcements made by the finance minister in Budget 2025 and Budget 2026, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has released the draft Income-tax Rules, 2026¹, along with the relevant Forms, for public consultation.

17 October 2025

Teaser: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (“CBDT”) has published its Seventh annual report presenting numerical data and a detailed analysis of the performance of the advance pricing agreement (“APA”) program in India.

30 June 2025

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a circular dated 26 June 2025 revising the Industry Standards, superseding the earlier version issued on 14 February 2025.

In response to substantive feedback from various industry stakeholders, SEBI has revised the Industry Standards with a heightened focus on the nature and materiality of Related Party Transactions (RPTs). The intent is to bring an optimal balance – ensuring robust regulatory oversight while simultaneously fostering ease of doing business, reinforcing sound corporate governance principles.

 

13 August 2025

While deciding the Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the much-awaited matter concerning the applicability of the time limit under Section 153 for issuance of final assessment orders read with Section 144C, a Bench of the Supreme Court comprising J. B. V. Nagarathna and J. Satish Chandra Sharma has delivered a split verdict and referred the matter to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India for constitution of a larger bench.

 

17 October 2025

Teaser: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (“CBDT”) has published its Seventh annual report presenting numerical data and a detailed analysis of the performance of the advance pricing agreement (“APA”) program in India.

 

18 August 2026

The Foreign Assets of Small Taxpayers Disclosure Scheme, 2026 was introduced vide the Finance Act, 2026. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has now notified the scheme, bringing into force with effect from 16 August 2026.

6 July 2026

The Central Government has notified the Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 2026 (‘PF Scheme’)1, Employees’ Pension Scheme, 2026 (‘Pension Scheme’)2, and Employees’ Deposit-Linked Insurance Scheme, 2026 (‘EDLI Scheme’)3 under Chapter III of the Code on Social Security, 2020 (‘COSS’), effective through publication in the Official Gazette on 29 June 2026, replacing the earlier corresponding schemes. Employees' Enrolment Campaign, 20264 (‘EEC’), Vishwas 20265 and Amnesty, 20266 form part of the PF Scheme and are notified in the Annexure thereto with an intent to provide opportunity to establishments to regularize prior compliance and settle ongoing disputes.

12 May 2026

The Central Government has notified the final rules of the four Labour Codes through the publication in the Official Gazette on 8 May 2026. This notification marks the formal enforcement of the updated labour codes regulatory framework.

7 January 2026

The Central Government notified the effective date of four Labour Codes viz. the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 - as 21 November 2025. Pursuant to that, on 30 December 2025, it pre-published the draft central rules under the four Labour Codes, inviting objections and suggestions for the Code on Industrial Relations (Central) Rules by 30 January 2026 and by 14 February 2026 for the Rules on the other three Codes. This paves the path for the operationalisation of the Codes.

15 October 2025

In a significant move aimed at reducing compliance burden and enhancing operational flexibility for businesses, the Government of Maharashtra on 1 October 2025, issued amendments on applicability threshold and in working and overtime hours. This amendment aligns with the broader objective of enhancing Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living, while continuing to safeguard workers’ rights.

22 September 2025

The Employment Linked Incentive Scheme was first announced in Union Budget 2024–25 as a flagship program to boost job creation, formalize the workforce and the social security across all sectors, with special focus on the manufacturing sector. The Scheme has since been named as Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (‘PMVBRY Scheme’). Recently, the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India issued guidelines for the PMVBRY Scheme. The scheme will be implemented by the Ministry of Labour & Employment through the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (‘EPFO’).
 

5 August 2025

The Bombay High Court has clarified that employers may legally enforce a retirement age of 58 years if it is supported by a valid and binding settlement agreement with the employee.

7 July 2025

On 30 June 2025, the Government of Karnataka released the draft Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Rules, 2025. The draft rules have been issued pursuant to the Karnataka Platform based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Ordinance 2025 (‘Ordinance’) which was promulgated by the Governor on 27 May 2025. The Ordinance shall come into force on such date as may be notified by the state government in the Official Gazette. Once brought into effect, the Ordinance is required to be laid before the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council within 6 (six) weeks of their reassembly, as per constitutional requirements.
 

24 June 2025

As per a ruling of the Calcutta High Court, the period during which an employee worked as a trainee/probationer/full time apprentice must be included when calculating the total service period for the purpose of payment of gratuity, in the absence of an apprenticeship agreement.

17 June 2025

The Chennai Bench of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal has held that, based on facts, the taxpayer was a resident in India within the meaning of section 6 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (ITA) and accordingly, the global income of the taxpayer was taxable in India.