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The EPF Scheme, 2026 modernises India’s provident fund framework by replacing the 1952 scheme while largely retaining existing contribution and benefit structures. It streamlines compliance through digitisation, simplifies withdrawal rules, strengthens governance for exempted trusts, and aligns EPF administration with the Code on Social Security, 2020. The reforms reduce procedural complexity, improve transparency and efficiency, and provide employers and employees with a more technology-driven, compliance-focused system without altering core retirement savings protections. Minu Dwivedi, Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, views the changes from a similar perspective. She notes that the mandatory exchange of information between contractors and principal employers gives employers significantly greater visibility into statutory compliances while simultaneously increasing accountability for contractor defaults. In her assessment, the framework ultimately strengthens social security protection for contract workers. Read more

The article discusses the growing importance of comprehensive succession planning among wealthy families, highlighting the Scindia and Kapur disputes moving towards settlements. It emphasizes the benefits of mediation over prolonged litigation and the need for clear succession frameworks to prevent disputes. Courts favor family settlements for their efficiency and confidentiality. Aditya Rathi, Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, echoes this view, noting that succession planning should not be viewed merely as preparing a will. “Over the past several years, there has been a noticeable shift from viewing estate planning as simply preparing a Will to adopting comprehensive succession planning, particularly among business families, entrepreneurs, professionals, and high-net-worth individuals.” Read more

Indian companies are increasingly opting for share buybacks, driven by regulatory clarity and favorable tax reforms. This trend is seen as a strategic move to manage capital efficiently and signal confidence in stock value. Recent tax changes and SEBI’s evolving stance on buybacks aim to enhance transparency and investor confidence. Raj Ramachandran, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors, echoes the view that buybacks are “an essential corporate action” for companies seeking to adapt to changing business requirements and optimise capital structures. He points out that listed companies often pursue buy-backs when management be “Buybacks can improve earnings per share, enhance return on equity and signal management’s confidence.” Read more

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Bonds are fixed-income instruments through which investors lend money to governments, corporations or financial institutions in return for periodic interest (coupon payments) and principal repayment at maturity. They help diversify portfolios and reduce volatility but carry risks such as interest rate fluctuations, credit defaults, inflation and liquidity constraints. Government bonds are generally safer, while corporate bonds offer higher returns with greater risk. Investors should assess credit ratings, investment horizon, yield and financial goals before choosing bonds. Raj Ramachandran, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors, one of India’s full-service national law firms, said these bonds are generally preferred when capital preservation is the priority. Read more

The article discusses the return of comedian Samay Raina’s show India’s Got Latent with an unusually large 11-member legal team, highlighting the growing intersection of comedy, law and content regulation in India. After the show faced controversy and legal scrutiny over allegedly objectionable remarks, the comeback has raised questions about whether comedy can remain uncensored while complying with legal and social boundaries. The debate centres on balancing freedom of expression under Article 19 with reasonable restrictions on public content. “There is no pre-certification for stand-up comedy performances like there is for films. But that does not mean comedians are legally free to say almost anything,” said Yajas Setlur, Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors. According to Setlur, comedians remain accountable under existing laws governing unlawful speech, and censorship is only one form of regulation. “Comedians, like everyone else, can be prosecuted under various laws for illegal or unlawful speech or content. Pre-certification is not the only way the law holds people accountable. “He added that whether a joke crosses the legal threshold depends entirely on its context. “A joke can become actionable under different laws, and the threshold will vary depending on the offence involved. This has to be examined case by case. Indian law prohibits hate speech, but that does not automatically make every joke involving a religion or community illegal. “One important distinction, Setlur noted, is that uploading a stand-up clip online does not fundamentally change its legal character. “Content that is legal, such as genuine satire or mimicry, does not become illegal merely because it is uploaded. Similarly, defamatory speech does not become lawful because it was first delivered live. However, because online distribution significantly expands reach and potential harm, the IT Act and IT Rules provide stronger mechanisms for takedowns and platform intervention.” He said complaints against comedians most commonly invoke provisions relating to hurting religious sentiments, promoting enmity between groups, obscenity, publishing obscene electronic material and defamation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT framework. Setlur believes India’s legal framework already contains adequate tools to address controversies like those involving Samay Raina or Ranveer Allahbadia. “The existing framework allows users, law enforcement agencies and platforms to remove unlawful content while also providing creators avenues to challenge such decisions. “However, he acknowledged that obscenity remains one of the most subjective areas of Indian law. “What is considered obscene is highly elastic and changes with social and cultural values. Context matters enormously. A joke that works inside a comedy club may be viewed very differently once it circulates online, detached from its original setting”, said Yajas Setlur, Partner, JSA. Read more

RBI’s draft Model Risk Management framework aims to regulate the use of AI and machine learning models in the financial sector. It requires banks and financial institutions to establish strong governance, maintain model inventories, conduct independent validation, monitor risks, and ensure human oversight. The framework highlights explainability, bias detection, cybersecurity, and accountability. Fintechs and AI vendors will need greater transparency, documentation, and compliance mechanisms, as regulated entities remain responsible for AI-driven decisions and outcomes. Probir Roy Chowdhury, Partner at JSA, sets out where legal exposure sits once the framework takes effect. He says RBI dictates that regulated entities remain solely accountable for the outcomes of AI models. Chowdhury also explains that compliance with the framework serves only as a baseline. Banks could still face strict liability for financial, or consumer losses caused by an AI model, regardless of adherence to RBI rules, and need indemnification clauses in vendor contracts to manage this exposure. On data protection, Chowdhury links the RBI’s fairness assessments to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act and says both regimes call for institutions to ensure their training data is free of quality issues that could produce discriminatory output. He also points out that banks cannot rely solely on vendor assurance. Regulated entities must validate before deployment, even when purchasing third-party systems. A few legal experts believe that a board-approved Model Risk Management Framework elevates AI from an IT issue to an entity-level duty, making directors on the Risk Management Committee responsible for risk appetite and approval of high-risk models. Institutions will also need documentation that provides complete traceability and reproducibility of model decisions during audits. Read more

India’s M&A market is moving into a more selective phase, with fewer but larger and more strategic transactions. Q1 2026 saw deal activity decline over 22% and deal value fall nearly 40% year-on-year, reflecting disciplined capital allocation rather than weaker fundamentals. Healthcare, consumer, insurance and technology remain attractive sectors, while outbound acquisitions focus on capabilities and global access. Major deals include Sun Pharma’s $11.4 billion Organon acquisition. Lawyers say AI and complex cross-border deals are reshaping M&A advisory work. Vikram Raghani, senior partner with the corporate practice at JSA, said the M&A pipeline is still robust. He predicts there will be more consolidation and larger M&A deals over the next 12-18 months, supported by free trade agreements and government policies. Read more

Rajesh Exports faces scrutiny for inflated revenues and low executive pay, highlighting a trend where Indian promoters prioritize wealth from shareholding and dividends over salaries. Regulatory and tax factors encourage modest salaries, with dividends and equity being key wealth sources. Transparency in disclosures is essential for investor trust and governance. “With increasing shareholder activism and scrutiny by proxy advisory firms, promoters are often reluctant to seek large compensation packages unless they can clearly justify them,” said Rupinder Malik, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors. “Changes in promoter holdings may trigger disclosures under insider trading and takeover regulations,” said JSA’s Malik, adding that companies must disclose remuneration details in annual reports, including salary, bonuses, benefits, pension contributions, fixed and performance-linked pay where promoters also serve as directors or key managerial personnel. Read more

Arbitration in India struggles with delays and inefficiencies despite legislative reforms. The dominance of ad hoc arbitration and reliance on courts contribute to these issues. Experts argue for systemic reform and a cultural shift towards institutional arbitration to improve efficiency, emphasizing that the problem lies more in practice than in legislation. Amar Gupta, Joint Managing Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors rejects the idea that legislative reform can solve arbitration’s delays. In his view, those looking for answers in the text of the Arbitration Act are searching in the wrong place. “The laws are only as good as the people who administer them,” Gupta says. According to him, delays arise from two distinct sources. The first lies within arbitration proceedings themselves. Despite arbitration’s promise of speed and flexibility, inefficiencies in case management often undermine those objectives. To address this problem, Gupta advocates greater reliance on institutional arbitration. Read more

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has unveiled a new authorisation regime, streamlining India’s telecom licensing landscape by replacing multiple licences with a single permission, aiming to foster ease of doing business, integrate AI for fraud prevention, and expand crucial satellite connectivity. “The new authorisation framework is one of the most important telecom regulatory reforms in recent years. “By replacing the legacy licensing regime with a streamlined authorisation structure, the government aims to simplify compliance and better accommodate evolving technologies. “The focus will now shift to implementation and whether the new framework delivers the regulatory certainty and the ease of doing business that this sector has been seeking,” said Tony Verghese, partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors. Read more

The new labour code makes it mandatory for employers to issue appointment letters in a prescribed format, clearly mentioning job role, salary, workplace, benefits, and employment conditions before joining. The move aims to formalise employment and reduce disputes. Employees who never received appointment letters earlier may now seek documentation of their employment terms, though implementation will depend on the applicable rules and timelines. The reform is expected to improve transparency, especially for workers in informal and semi-organised sectors. Sajai Singh, Partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, said the concept of mandatory appointment letters is not entirely new as several states already required them under their Shops and Commercial Establishments Act.”It is not something new in that sense. It is now just that the recognition is at a national level,” he said. Read more

The Centre has issued a series of notifications under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, introducing a new authorisation-based framework for telecom services. The move replaces the decades-old licensing system under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. The Department of Telecommunications has notified rules for main, miscellaneous and captive telecom services, along with a digital Telecom e-Services Portal for implementation. The new regime aims to simplify regulation, improve ease of doing business, and modernise India’s telecom governance structure. According to JSA Advocates and Solicitors, the new authorisation framework is one of the most important telecom regulatory reforms in the recent years. “By replacing the legacy licensing regime with a streamlined authorisation structure, the government aims to simplify compliance and better accommodate evolving technologies. The focus will now shift to implementation and whether the new framework delivers the regulatory certainty and the ease of doing business that this sector has been seeking,” Tony Verghese, Partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, said. Read more