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The EPF wage ceiling has been raised to Rs 25,000, impacting employees’ take-home pay due to higher EPF contributions. Employers must cover the increased employer contribution cost, as per legal requirements, without adjusting other CTC components. This change aims to boost employees’ long-term savings and social security benefits. Minu Dwivedi, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors, told ET Wealth Online that Section 124 of the Code on Social Security, 2020 (new labour code) restricts an employer from, directly or indirectly, reducing an employee’s wages and also prevents employers from reducing the total quantum of benefits that the employee is contractually or statutorily entitled to receive from the employer as per his/her employment terms. Dwivedi says this means that the additional employer’s contribution that an employer is required to pay to the statutory EPF fund for employees due to the recent raising of the wage ceiling limit to Rs 25,000, needs to be added by the employer to the current CTC of these employees. Read more

This story also appeared in Newspoint by Times of India.

The article explains that notice-period buyout is not an automatic legal right for employees. Whether an employee can pay salary instead of serving notice depends primarily on the employment contract and applicable state Shops and Establishments laws. Gerald Manoharan of JSA says the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 does not specifically regulate employee resignations. If the contract permits payment in lieu of notice, the employer generally cannot insist on service. However, if the employee leaves without serving or paying, the employer may recover notice pay or damages, but cannot legally force the employee to continue working. Gerald Manoharan, Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, talking to ET Wealth Online said that if the employment contract provides that an employee may terminate employment by giving notice ‘or’ making a payment in lieu of notice, then the employee may choose either option and the employer can’t just demand that the notice period be served. Read more

This story also appeared in Newspoint by Times of India

The article says employers can take contractual and financial action when an employee leaves before completing the notice period, but generally cannot force them to continue working. A legal notice, recovery of notice pay or damages, and withholding certain employment documents until exit formalities are completed may be possible. However, formal blacklisting or circulating an employee’s name to sabotage future employment could expose an employer to defamation or other claims. Internal “do-not-rehire” flags are generally more defensible. Employers may also give legitimate negative background-verification feedback, provided it is proportionate and factually supported. Sonakshi Das, Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, pointed out to ET Wealth Online that if an employee exits early without waiver or buyout, an employer’s legal remedy would ordinarily be to enforce contractual consequences, including recovery of notice pay or damages, rather than specific performance of the employment contract. Read more

This story also appeared in Newspoint by TOI and Inkl

Food and beverage companies are proactively reformulating products by reducing sugar, salt and fat ahead of a potential government mandate for warning labels on high-risk packaged foods. Companies are making these changes before the final regulatory decision, concerned that prominent warning labels could hurt sales and consumer perception. Multinational firms are also responding to global health and nutrition commitments. The move reflects growing regulatory pressure on the industry to improve nutritional profiles while adapting products to changing consumer expectations  “While it may not be visible at the front end, for packaged food companies it could involve substantial efforts in managing existing vendor arrangements, updating contracting terms with them, and revisions to capital deployment,” said Saurya Bhattacharya, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors. “Whether it significantly impacts the customer experience including on pricing and ingredients remains to be seen.” Read more

The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and FSSAI over delays and the proposed two-phase rollout of front-of-pack warning labels (FoPL) for packaged foods high in salt, sugar and fat. The Court questioned why products high in any one nutrient would be covered only in Phase II and sought clarity on thresholds, label design, size, placement and implementation timelines. It also flagged children’s vulnerability to unhealthy eating and asked how schools would incorporate nutritional literacy. The matter will be heard on September 28.  Fatema Kachwalla, Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, said the regulatory approach to food safety in India is increasingly moving beyond inspections and enforcement, with greater focus on consumer information and informed choice. “I think we are seeing a meaningful change in the way food-safety regulation is being approached in India. The shift is not merely towards more inspections or more enforcement action; it is towards greater emphasis on what information reaches the consumer and whether that information enables an informed choice. The Supreme Court’s intervention has brought the question of consumer information and public health directly into the regulatory process. In my view, this demonstrates the influence that judicial scrutiny can have on regulatory policy. The Supreme Court’s examination of the issue can require the regulator to revisit assumptions that may otherwise have remained within the policy process,” Kachwalla said. Read more

India’s burgeoning space sector is driving demand for legal services as startups and foreign investors navigate regulatory complexities. The sector’s rapid growth, projected to reach $40-45 billion, involves legal work in investment, technology transfers, and compliance with national security regulations. The liberalization of FDI rules is attracting foreign interest, further expanding legal mandates, intellectual property and export controls. Foreign firms are also exploring Indian subsidiaries and joint ventures following the liberalization of foreign direct investment (FDI) rules. “We are seeing early interest from foreign entities exploring an Indian subsidiary or JV route to access the liberalized FDI caps, though listed aerospace/defence primes remain a smaller share of our current mandates than the startup and investor side,” said Siddharth Mody, partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors specializing in M&As, private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC). Read more

This story also appeared Online and NewsBytes.

The government has tightened e-commerce rules to curb fake discounts, manipulated search results and misleading online practices. From January 1, 2027, platforms announcing discounts must display the lowest price charged in the previous 30 days alongside the reduced price. Sponsored listings must be clearly identified, while platforms cannot manipulate search rankings to mislead consumers. E-commerce firms will also face annual dark-pattern audits, stronger product and seller disclosures, stricter consumer-data consent requirements and greater accountability for grievance redressal Much of the evidence could be drawn from the platforms’ own records. Rishabh Gupta, partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, said that the 30-day prior-price rule would enable verifiable advertised discounts to be checked against historical prices. “Ranking parameters, search and ranking records, sponsorship disclosures and other platform data can help establish whether search results have been manipulated or inadequately disclosed,” he said. Read more

Food and beverage companies are proactively reformulating products by reducing sugar, salt and fat ahead of a potential government mandate for warning labels on high-risk packaged foods. Companies are making these changes before the final regulatory decision, concerned that prominent warning labels could hurt sales and consumer perception. Multinational firms are also responding to global health and nutrition commitments. The move reflects growing regulatory pressure on the industry to improve nutritional profiles while adapting products to changing consumer expectations  “While it may not be visible at the front end, for packaged food companies it could involve substantial efforts in managing existing vendor arrangements, updating contracting terms with them, and revisions to capital deployment,” said Saurya Bhattacharya, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors. “Whether it significantly impacts the customer experience including on pricing and ingredients remains to be seen.” Read more

FSSAI’s proposed front-of-pack red warning labels for packaged foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat are facing renewed scrutiny from the Supreme Court. The Court has questioned the scientific basis, design and phased implementation of the proposed system. FSSAI has indicated openness to stricter rules, potentially requiring warnings when a product exceeds limits for even one unhealthy nutrient. The move could significantly reshape food labelling, marketing and compliance requirements for India’s packaged-food industry, while prioritising consumer and children’s health. Fatema Kachwalla, Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, believes it is. “I think we are seeing a meaningful change in the way food-safety regulation is being approached in India,” Kachwalla told MoneyPost. “The shift is not merely towards more inspections or more enforcement action; it is towards greater emphasis on what information reaches the consumer and whether that information enables an informed choice.” She believes the Supreme Court’s involvement could have a wider impact on regulatory policy. “The Supreme Court’s intervention has brought the question of consumer information and public health directly into the regulatory process. In my view, this demonstrates the influence that judicial scrutiny can have on regulatory policy. The Supreme Court’s examination of the issue can require the regulator to revisit assumptions that may otherwise have remained within the policy process.” Read more

FSSAI’s intensified enforcement campaign targets food safety compliance, affecting both large corporations and smaller MSMEs. While big companies can absorb costs, smaller businesses face financial strain. Recent inspections uncovered violations by major brands, leading to penalties and legal challenges. Proposed regulations, such as warning labels, have sparked industry debate. Saurya Bhattacharya, Partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, told Outlook Business that the regulatory landscape itself has not fundamentally changed. “The distinction at present is caused because of potentially more frequent or dense coverage during the inspections, and the mainstream, digital and social media attention that it has received.” Read more

Elon Musk’s journey to becoming a trillionaire underscores strategic market focus, mirrored by India’s business families who leverage diversification and policy shifts for wealth creation. Key players like the Jindals and Bajajs expand through acquisitions and core competencies.  “Successful founders are increasingly redeploying gains into early-stage ventures. Moving beyond wealth creation, they are setting a foundation for the next generation of enterprises to emerge,” he adds. The spike in wealth is the result of a gradual shift from a highly-controlled economy to one that facilitates entrepreneurship, investment, and scale, says Varun Sriram, partner, JSA Advocates and Solicitors. “The liberalisation of FDI policy and the development of Sebi’s regulatory framework have enabled Indian businesses to access both domestic and global capital more efficiently” He adds that sector-specific initiatives such as Make in India and the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme have encouraged investment, manufacturing and integration with global value chains, while the growth of digital infrastructure and initiatives like the National Single Window System have reduced transaction and compliance friction. These policy and structural shifts are creating new avenues for capital, innovation, and scale. Read more

Prime Minister Modi has challenged India to have 50 companies in the Fortune Global 500 within a decade, emphasizing sectors like banking and manufacturing. Achieving this requires reforms, global competitiveness, and strategic partnerships. The government is implementing supportive policies, while Indian companies must focus on innovation and scaling globally. “ESG, transparency and accountability need to be adopted as operating disciplines, and not only as reporting add-ons,” says Kartik Jain, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors. Measures from India Inc. will have to be complemented by policy support, experts suggest. “India’s next phase of growth will significantly depend on regulatory frameworks that are clear, stable, predictable and effectively implemented. Companies seeking to scale must also assess sectoral and geopolitical risks, at the outset. That is how Indian businesses can scale with confidence at home and abroad,” says Jain. Read more