India: Government, Public Sector

India's net Foreign Direct Investment inflows are projected to rebound to nearly USD 15 billion in FY27, signaling a new growth phase for foreign investment. As investment volumes increase, businesses must navigate complex FEMA regulations, RBI compliance requirements, and sector-specific FDI policies to capitalize on emerging opportunities while maintaining regulatory preparedness.

Under FEMA, the rules related to investment by a person resident outside India in an Indian company are provided under Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 (‘NDI Rules’).

On 8 July 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has notified the Telecommunications (Radio Equipment Possession Authorisation) Rules, 2026 (Rules). The Rules operationalise the authorisation requirement under Section 3(1)(c) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 (Telecom Act) for possession of radio equipment, while also identifying categories of persons and equipment for which a separate possession authorisation is not required.

India's Competition Commission has clarified its jurisdiction to examine allegations of abuse of dominant position in the aviation sector, rejecting IndiGo's argument that sectoral regulation by DGCA excludes competition law oversight. The landmark ruling establishes that regulatory frameworks can coexist when they serve distinct purposes, with significant implications for how market dominance and anti-competitive conduct are assessed across regulated industries.

The interplay between the supervisory jurisdiction of the High Court under Article 227 of the Constitution of India and the statutory appellate remedy under Section 37 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (“the Act”) has for long been a contentious issue before Indian Courts.

The High Court held that while the executive is competent to prescribe cut-off dates, such classification must satisfy the twin tests under Article 14 of the Constitution. It was further observed that since the Circular created an artificial classification having no rational or nexus with its object of mitigating hardship, it is arbitrary, discriminatory and unconstitutional. Accordingly, the Hon’ble High Court struck down the Clause B of the Circular.

The Delhi High Court's landmark ruling in Telegram FZ LLC v. Union of India addresses whether Section 69A of the IT Act permits the government to block an entire platform rather than specific content. Following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak scandal, where fraudulent channels circulated fake exam papers affecting millions of aspirants, the court upheld the Centre's power to impose a platform-wide ban on Telegram, sparking intense debate about the boundaries between examination integrity and digital censorship.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (“DPIIT”), through its revised Standard Operating Procedure (“SOP”) dated 4 May 2026 for processing Foreign Direct Investment (“FDI”) proposals, has introduced what appears at first glance to be a procedural reform.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (“DPIIT”) had issued Press Note 3 of 2020 (“PN3”), mandating prior Government approval for investments originating from entities or citizens of countries sharing land borders with India (“LBCs”), or where the beneficial owner of the investment was situated in or was a citizen of such countries.

The Maharashtra Stamp (Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2026 (Bill) introduced in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on 7 July 2026 proposes a significant reform to the stamp duty treatment of guarantees under the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958 (Maharashtra Stamp Act).

India's leading states are competing to attract Global Capability Centres through strategic policy frameworks, fiscal incentives, and infrastructure development. Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Gujarat have each designed distinct approaches to position their metropolitan hubs as premier destinations for multinational innovation and value delivery. Which state offers the most compelling proposition for establishing high-value GCC operations in India's evolving business landscape?

The West Asia conflict has exposed fundamental limitations in how force majeure operates during systemic supply chain disruptions.