SEZ compliance relief ensures operational continuity for units producing essential medical supplies while waiving punitive actions.
Units in Special Economic Zones producing essential medical and pharmaceutical goods are to remain operational with facilitation for IT/ITES remote work. Development Commissioners are instructed to refrain from punitive action for missed filings during the disruption, grant electronic extensions of letters of approval and other compliances in a time bound manner, and provide ad hoc interim deferments where electronic processing is not possible, ensuring units face no hardship while maintaining workplace safety measures.

Exclusion of lockdown period from CIRP timelines preserves procedural course while remaining subject to the Code time limit.
The IBBI amended the CIRP Regulations to provide that the lockdown period shall not be counted for the purposes of any CIRP timeline where an activity could not be completed due to the lockdown, while preserving the overall time-limit provided in the Code; the amendments are effective immediately.

Worker retention urged to prevent mass migration, maintain essential services and ensure social distancing while industries support relief efforts.
Industry associations were urged to retain employees on payroll to prevent mass migration and reduce COVID-19 transmission, to promote social distancing and hygiene through stakeholders, and to use industrial capacity and premises to support relief efforts such as community kitchens and ramping up production of essential medical equipment. The Ministry stressed that goods movement and essential services will continue during lockdown with precautions, and committed to addressing association-raised issues across ministries while encouraging recovery aligned with expanded domestic manufacturing.

Green Channel automatic approval introduced for merger filings, streamlined Form I guidance issued to clarify eligibility and information requirements.
Revision of filing guidance clarifies scope and eligibility for the Green Channel automatic approval mechanism and updates the revised Form I to specify the information and documentary scope required when filing a notice; it explains criteria for Green Channel qualification and encourages use of Pre Filing Consultation to resolve information requirement queries.

Emergency procurement procedures prioritized rapid onboarding and shortened bid and delivery timelines for COVID 19 supplies.
GeM implemented expedited procurement measures for COVID 19: created a dedicated portal page and new medical and auxiliary categories, prioritized and fast tracked brand and product approvals with same day clearance, shortened bid cycles and delivery periods, introduced delivery lead time filters, a price control rule, delivery extension and stock update rules, added a tracking page for categories and sellers, and conducted targeted OEM and seller onboarding to ensure rapid, transparent procurement of pandemic supplies.

Licence validity extensions ensure continued medical oxygen supply and defer statutory testing while waiving late renewal fees.
PESO directed expedited grant of licences for storage and transport of medical oxygen, issued advisories to permit uninterrupted manufacture and transport of medical oxygen and nitrous oxide, extended validity of licences for storage, transport, sale, use and manufacture of regulated substances with waiver of late renewal fees, and deferred statutory hydrostatic and safety-relief-valve testing deadlines for cylinders and pressure vessels to a common extended due date.

Supply chain continuity ensured through SOPs and monitoring, with extensions for patent and trademark filings.
The Government committed to ensuring safe, convenient delivery of essential goods during the COVID 19 lockdown by coordinating retailers, e commerce and logistics operators, issuing standard operating procedures for State guidance, establishing a control room for real time monitoring of transport and delivery, and extending timelines for statutory acts, filings and fee payments at the Indian Patents Office for affected patent, design and trademark applicants.

Control room monitoring for essential goods enables direct reporting and escalation to local authorities for logistical relief.
DPIIT has established a centralized control room to monitor in real time the transportation, manufacturing and delivery of essential commodities and to receive reports from manufacturers, transporters, distributors, wholesalers and e commerce companies about ground level difficulties; reported issues will be taken up with concerned state governments, district and police authorities and other agencies through provided telephone and email channels operating during stated functional hours.

MPLADS funds may be reallocated for COVID 19 medical equipment and related facility support under amended guidelines.
Use of MPLADS funds has been temporarily broadened to permit Members of Parliament to recommend expenditures for prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19, including procurement of non contact infra red thermometers, PPE kits, thermal imaging scanners at points of entry, approved testing kits, ICU ventilators, isolation/quarantine wards, face masks, gloves, sanitizers and other health equipment recommended for disease control.

Business continuity platform provides real-time updates and around-the-clock redressal to support businesses facing COVID-19 disruptions.
Invest India's Business Immunity Platform centralizes real-time updates on government initiatives and special provisions, offers FAQs and mapped corporate response measures, and operates an around-the-clock issue-redressal service staffed by sector experts. It resolves queries via email and WhatsApp, facilitates supplier-demand matching and showcases solutions from startups and MSMEs, and includes a partnership with SIDBI to address MSME-specific continuity needs.

Company affirmation of readiness towards COVID 19: online form for companies/LLPs to confirm compliance via DIN/PAN and OTP verification.
An online post login form deployed 23 March 2020 enables Indian and foreign companies and LLPs to declare compliance with COVID 19 guidelines, including work from home. The process requires entering a valid entity identifier to prefill the name, selecting compliance status, providing an authorised signatory identifier (DIN/PAN/membership number), performing OTP verification on a mobile number (prefilled where available), and submitting; no fee, no DSC, no SRN, and system email acknowledgements are issued.

Ex-post approval for MSP reimbursement to support price-stabilising cotton operations and protect farmer interests.
Ex-post approval was granted to engage Maharashtra State Cooperative Cotton Growers Marketing Federation Ltd. as sub-agent of Cotton Corporation of India for MSP operations in Maharashtra for cotton years 2017-18 and 2018-19. The Cabinet authorised revenue expenditure to reimburse losses on sale of cotton procured under MSP operations for 2017-18 and 2018-19 and additionally for 2014-15 and 2015-16, with sums allocated between CCI and MSCCGMFL to support price-stabilising MSP operations and protect farmer interests.

Intellectual property rights modernization accelerates trademark and patent processing, improving registration and examination efficiency and international rankings.
Strengthening the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Regime in India involves legislative and administrative reforms, IP office modernisation, expanded IT use for e filing and digital delivery, acceptance of electronic communications, expedited examination, and international cooperation, resulting in reduced examination and registration times, increased trademark registrations, higher volumes of patent examination and grants, and improved Global Innovation Index performance.

Government security repayment scheduled; holders must furnish bank details or tender discharged securities for payment.
Repayment of the outstanding balance under the 10.70% Government Security 2020 is payable on the effective date of repayment. If a State holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act falls on that date, payment will be made on the previous working day. Under sub regulations 24(2) and 24(3) of the Government Securities Regulations, 2007, maturity proceeds shall be paid by pay order with bank particulars or by electronic credit; holders must submit bank account particulars in advance or, lacking those, tender duly discharged securities at designated paying offices at least 20 days before the due date.

Companies (Amendment) Bill 2020 decriminalises many technical defaults, replaces imprisonment with monetary penalties and creates a Producer Companies regime.
The Bill replaces imprisonment and criminal offences for numerous technical and procedural defaults under the Companies Act, 2013 with prescribed monetary penalties (including daily continuing penalties with ceilings), grants the Central Government powers to exempt classes of companies or persons and to prescribe rules, inserts a comprehensive Chapter XXIA creating a bespoke regime for Producer Companies (covering incorporation, governance, patronage-based returns, audit, transfers, mergers and conversion from inter-State co-operatives), and authorises direct/foreign listing mechanisms and Benches of the Appellate Tribunal.

Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Act allows settlement of disputed direct tax by declaration and specified payment for finality.
The Act creates a framework under which a taxpayer may file a declaration for specified tax arrear, have a designated authority determine the amount payable within fifteen days, and obtain deemed withdrawal of litigation upon payment; payment rates vary by category and by date of payment, the authority's determination is conclusive, amounts paid are generally non refundable, certain prosecutions and penalties are barred if conditions are met, and falsehood or breach of undertaking revives withdrawn proceedings.

Wholesale Price Index declines, reducing annual WPI inflation and reflecting mixed movements across primary, fuel and manufactured goods.
The Wholesale Price Index (base 2011-12=100) for February 2020 fell 0.6% month on month to a provisional 122.2; annual WPI inflation was 2.26% and build up inflation for the financial year was 1.92%. Primary Articles declined 2.8% (Food Articles down 3.7%), Minerals rose, Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas declined, Fuel & Power rose 1.2% (Mineral Oils down, Electricity up), and Manufactured Products rose 0.2% with mixed subgroup movements. The WPI Food Index declined from the prior month and December 2019 final WPI was revised slightly higher.

Insolvency amendments set joint-filing thresholds for creditors, protect licences during moratorium, and limit corporate prosecution post-plan.
The Act prescribes class-based joint-filing thresholds for financial creditors and real estate allottees, requires modification of pending applications to comply, expands recognised debts by notification, clarifies moratorium protections for licences and critical supplies provided dues are paid, continues resolution professional management until plan approval or liquidator appointment, and provides that post-plan approval a corporate debtor's liability for prior offences ceases where control changes to specified persons while preserving prosecution of designated partners and officers in default.

Anti-competitive practices: association and pharma firms required NOCs from stockists and must cease and undertake compliance outreach.
The Commission found Anti-competitive practices by BCDA and its District Committees-requiring SAI/NOC before supply, collecting monetary considerations for SAI, and requiring PAI from PCD agents after donations-and held pharmaceutical companies liable for conditioning supply on BCDA approvals. The Commission directed the entities and responsible officials to cease such practices, noted remedial steps and coercion pleas, did not impose monetary penalties, and required BCDA to undertake advocacy and outreach to ensure compliance with competition law.

Dearness Allowance increase approved, additional instalment extended to central employees and pensioners effective January implementation.
Approval was granted for release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief with effect from 1 January 2020, increasing rates to compensate for price rise for Central Government employees and pensioners, implemented pursuant to the accepted pay commission formula and producing a quantified annual exchequer impact for the specified financial period.