Finance Law and Banking Law

Stamp duty is one of the oldest forms of fiscal legislation in India, yet it remains one of the most frequently underestimated sources of risk in corporate and commercial transactions. Parties tend to focus on the substantive commercial terms, tax implications, and regulatory approvals, relegating stamp duty analysis to the execution stage.

The 2026 IBC amendments have fundamentally altered the dynamics of personal guarantor insolvency proceedings by eliminating automatic interim stays. What was once a powerful tool for promoters to halt recovery actions through a simple filing now requires substantive judicial scrutiny, shifting the balance of power back toward creditors and forcing lenders to reassess their enforcement strategies across multiple forums.

SEBI has restored the open market buy-back route through stock exchanges effective August 1, 2026, after suspending it in April 2025. The amendment introduces significant changes including a fixed 66-working-day execution window, ISIN-level freeze on promoter shareholding, mandatory minimum public shareholding compliance, and makes merchant banker appointment discretionary while reallocating their functions among company officers and auditors.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in its recent informal guidance dated 20 July 2026 (Informal Guidance), has clarified that Regulation 62A of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, as amended (LODR Regulations), applies to outstanding unlisted non-convertible debentures, which was are transferred to a debt listed entity pursuant to any corporate restructuring or business transfer.

If your company is required to spend on Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) under the Companies Act, 2013 (“Act”), a new and structured route is now available, effective from May 27, 2026. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (“MCA”) has amended the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014 (“CSR Rules”) to permit companies to direct a portion of their CSR budget through the Social Stock Exchange (“SSE”) via Zero Coupon Zero Principal (“ZCZP”) instruments. This update is of direct relevance to compliance teams, CSR committees, company secretaries, and in-house counsel.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India has introduced significant changes to the regulatory framework governing buy-backs of securities. Through the SEBI (Buy-Back of Securities) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, notified on 6 July 2026, SEBI has revised the framework for buy-backs, including the re-introduction of the open-market buy-back route through stock exchanges.

On July 27, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”) issued four draft amendment directio ns pertaining to Commercial Banks, Small Finance Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (“NBFCs”) and All India Finan cial Institutions (“AIFIs”), proposing changes to the respective Securitisation Transactions Directions, 2025 governing each category of regulated entity.

The Reserve Bank of India’s Scale Based Regulation (“SBR”) framework has fundamentally changed the way India regulates its largest non-banking financial companies (“NBFCs”). What began in 2021 as a framework built around size, complexity, interconnectedness, and systemic importance has evolved into a substantially more predictable regime following the RBI’s June 2026 amendments.

The Reserve Bank of India has introduced a new classification system for Non-Banking Financial Companies, fundamentally changing registration requirements based on public funding access, customer interface, and asset size thresholds. These regulatory changes create distinct compliance pathways for different NBFC categories while introducing new rules for group entities and overseas investments.

India's new Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Rules, 2026 mark a watershed moment in aviation finance, finally operationalizing the Cape Town Convention through a technology-driven framework...

Aircraft leasing has emerged as the dominant mode of fleet acquisition in the global aviation industry, enabling airlines to access aircraft without committing significant capital to outright ownership.

The Bombay High Court's decision in Aditya Birla Housing Finance Ltd. v. Axis Bank Ltd. examines whether statutory arbitration under Section 11 of the SARFAESI Act can be invoked between an existing secured creditor and a financial...