The article discusses recent CBIC Instruction No. 17/2026-Cus., which permits Customs adjudication under Section 28AAA in certain circumstances without prior DGFT invalidation of licences or scrips.
The article examines the Rajasthan High Court’s recent decision on interest demands for unused goods imported under MOOWR and cleared ‘as such’. It explains that Section 61(2) of the Customs Act, 1962 applies only to goods under Section 61(1)(c), not qualifying manufacturing goods under clauses (a) and (b).
In the months of July, August and October, SEBI passed a few settlement orders with respect to alleged violations of SEBI regulations relating to the obligation of the Manager or the Sponsor of the AIF. The article reviews one of such settlement orders passed by SEBI and discusses the various obstacles faced by AIFs and their Managers and Sponsors in complying with SEBI’s regulations for a minimum commitment by the Sponsor or the Manager of an AIF.
The article discusses the IFSCA circular which was issued on 27 October 2026 to impose certification requirements to strengthen cyber security framework. These guidelines require boards and senior management to have adequate cyber risk knowledge and mandated regular employee training.
The article discusses the Special Economic Zones (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2026 which has been notified by Ministry of Commerce and Industry to ease regulatory burden of funds. The changes made by the Amendment Rules are relevant for funds and Fund Management Entities (‘FME’) established in an International Financial Services Centre (‘IFSC’).
In a significant liberalisation for FDI in the e-commerce sector, it now appears that the Government intends to lift the prohibition on inventory-based model of e-commerce for the exclusive purpose of boosting exports by domestic manufacturers and MSMEs, in line with the objectives of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023.
The article examines how the amendment by the Finance Act, 2026 in the Income-tax Act, 2025 changes the consequences for not-for-profit organisations (‘NPOs’) pursuing general public utility objects. The 2026 amendment removes many breaches from the ‘specified violations’, thus reducing the risk of cancellation. The authors however note that non-compliance may still lead to denial of exemption, taxation of commercial income, and scrutiny of charitable purpose. According to them, the change offers operational flexibility while preserving discipline governing NPOs.
India’s trade-remedy regime is seeing a marked shift. Affirmative recommendations by the DGTR are increasingly not resulting in duty notifications by the Ministry of Finance. While DGTR findings historically led almost invariably to anti-dumping or countervailing duties, recent data, particularly for late 2025 to mid-2026, shows a sharp rise in non-imposition of duty despite findings of dumping, injury and causal link. The article examines the legal basis for Finance Ministry’s discretion, the lack of publicly articulated reasons in several cases, and the resulting uncertainty for the domestic industry. It argues for greater transparency, institutional clarity and a predictable framework to preserve confidence in India’s trade-remedy system.
India legislated the Indian carbon market through the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022 and re-legislated its entire Income-Tax Code in 2025 but forgot to connect the two. If India wants CCC prices to drive decarbonization and the carbon market to be successful, the tax cost of a tonne of carbon cannot itself be a matter of litigation.
The article discusses the limitation requirement under GST, wherein Sections 73 and 74 of the CGST Act 2017 prescribe the time limits within which the adjudicating authority is required to pass the order.
The article discusses the tax-related issues concerning Permanent Establishment (PE) and transfer pricing for Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India that multinational corporations (MNCs) should be aware of.
To provide some flexibility to manufacturers and develop strong manufacturing ecosystems in India at the same time, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (‘DPIIT’) issued the Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order 2026 (‘Transition QCO’) on 25 June 2025.
The Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) on 12 June 2026, notified the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026 (‘Amendment Rules’), amending the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 (‘NDI Rules’). The Amendment Rules constitute the third amendment in the FEMA liberalisation cycle for the year 2026, following the first and second amendments, which respectively relaxed restrictions on investments from countries sharing a land border with India and liberalised foreign investment in the insurance sector opening the sector up till 100% under automatic route. The third amendment is yet another attempt to widen the gate for the Indian economy. For years, access to India's listed securities market was reserved specially for a defined class amongst which are foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and non-resident Indians (NRIs) and overseas citizens of India (OCIs), this time the liberalisation is into the Indian capital markets.
Secondment arrangement is the most debated topic from taxation standpoint. For years, Indian courts and tribunals have grappled with the tax implications of cross-border employee secondments, pivoting continuously on whether the reimbursement of salary costs represents a taxable technical service or a mere fiscal pass-through
The 2026 Steel import Regulation of the European Union (EU) (‘2026 Regulation’),[1] which came into force on 1 July 2026, is not simply a continuation of earlier Steel Safeguard measures[2] applicable since 2018, but it indicates a decisive shift in the EU’s approach to regulate its steel imports in the coming years. With lowering of tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), higher out-of-quota duties and proposal for stricter origin requirements, the 2026 Regulation goes beyond the WTO’s temporary safeguard regime to a more permanent industrial policy governing steel imports into the EU. In particular, the 2026 Regulation reduces the EU's tariff-free steel quota by ~47%, doubles the out-of-quota duty from 25% to 50%, and introduces a new ‘melt and pour’ traceability requirement.
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