Competition approval: acquisition of a significant minority stake cleared through subscription to compulsorily convertible preference shares.
CCI approval was granted for Emerald Sage Investment Limited to acquire approximately 9.93% of Apollo Tyres Limited by subscribing to 10.80 crore compulsorily convertible preference shares, creating a significant minority stake. Emerald is a Mauritius investment holding company with shareholders comprising private equity funds managed by Warburg Pincus LLC; Apollo manufactures and sells automotive tyres across several vehicle categories.

Direct Benefit Transfer ensured swift cash relief under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package to vulnerable households.
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package creates a relief framework delivering cash and in kind transfers to vulnerable populations via digital channels. Core measures include direct cash transfers to identified beneficiaries, front loaded PM KISAN payments to farmers, cash credits to women Jan Dhan account holders, free food grains and pulses distribution, free Ujjwala gas cylinders, EPFO online non refundable advances and temporary EPF contribution relief, MNREGA wage support, and insurance cover for government health workers.

Merger approval under Section 31(1): Acquirer cleared to purchase target's shareholding, consolidating power generation assets.
Approval under Section 31(1) has been granted for JSW Energy Limited to acquire the entire share capital of GMR Kamalanga Energy Limited. The Acquirer's group activities include power generation, transmission, trading, coal mining and equipment manufacturing across thermal, hydro and solar assets, while the Target operates a coal based thermal power plant in Odisha. A detailed regulatory order will be issued subsequently.

Merger approval clears acquisition of controlling stake in ABB's power grid business following regulatory review.
The Competition Commission approved Hitachi's proposed acquisition of a controlling interest in ABB Management Holding AG, the corporate vehicle holding ABB Limited's power grid business, which comprises development, engineering, manufacture and sale of power grid products, systems and projects; detailed regulatory order and any ancillary conditions will follow.

Video conferencing in judicial proceedings authorized to maintain hearings while minimizing physical attendance and facilitating access to justice during pandemic.
Authorization to use video conferencing technologies is directed to ensure judicial functioning while complying with social distancing; measures reducing physical presence are deemed lawful, High Courts and the Supreme Court may adopt suitable modalities, District Courts shall follow their High Courts, helplines must be maintained for feed complaints, courts must provide facilities for litigants lacking access and may appoint amicus curiae, video hearings are primarily for arguments until rules are framed, and recording evidence remotely requires mutual consent.

Non-operation of MPLADS suspends scheme funding and redirects resources to support the COVID-19 response.
Non-operation of MPLADS suspends the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme for a two-year period and directs reallocation of those scheme funds to strengthen government measures addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, converting allocated MPLADS resources into a centralized source for pandemic management and imposing a temporary moratorium on constituency-directed project spending.

Government security repayment: proceeds payable by bank credit or pay order; submit bank details or tender securities.
Repayment of the 7.80% Government Security is payable on the stated effective date; if a State-declared holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act falls on that day, repayment is made the previous working day. Payment of maturity proceeds to the registered holder will be by pay order incorporating bank account particulars or by credit to a bank account able to receive electronic funds; holders must submit bank particulars in advance or, absent those particulars, tender duly discharged securities at designated paying offices twenty days before the due date.

Voluntary employee donation supports the Prime Minister CARES Fund for COVID-19 relief through a one day salary contribution.
Employees of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. undertook a collective voluntary one-day salary donation to the Prime Minister CARES Fund, organized as an employer-facilitated, employee-volunteered payroll contribution to support COVID-19 relief efforts.

Economic contraction risk from pandemic; fiscal stimulus prioritising health and income support can limit global downturn.
The COVID-19 pandemic risks global economic contraction in 2020 through disrupted supply chains, collapsed tourism and trade, and steep declines in private consumption, investment and exports. The severity depends on the duration of movement restrictions and the scale and efficacy of fiscal responses: well designed stimulus prioritising health spending and income support can limit recessionary impact, whereas inadequate responses and prolonged lockdowns will deepen demand shocks, raise unemployment, and spill over to developing economies dependent on tourism and commodity exports.

Competition approval for joint venture in solar power enables equal equity acquisition and transfer of subsidiaries.
CCI approved a joint venture in solar power between Adani Green Energy and Total S.A., under which Adani Green will transfer certain subsidiaries into a newly incorporated JV and Total S.A. will directly or indirectly acquire an equal equity stake in that JV; the Target Companies operate in solar power generation and a detailed CCI order will follow.

Contribution to PM-CARES Fund: PFRDA to deduct part of employees' salary to support COVID-19 relief.
PFRDA pledges to contribute a portion of employees' salaries to the PM-CARES Fund as an administrative measure supporting COVID-19 relief, with leadership statements framing the contribution as part of a collective responsibility. The pledge is located against PFRDA's role as a statutory Authority regulating and promoting the National Pension System and related pension schemes, noting subscriber and asset under management metrics to contextualise the Authority's institutional capacity.

Corporate social responsibility contribution to fund procurement of ventilators for public hospital COVID-19 response and clinical capacity.
A public sector undertaking made a targeted Corporate Social Responsibility contribution to a national medical institution to fund procurement of ventilators, strengthening clinical capacity during the COVID-19 public health emergency through a CSR-directed transfer reported in a press release.

Taxation and Other Laws Ordinance relaxes time limits and limits interest and penalties for COVID 19 related tax delays.
The Ordinance extends statutory time limits for actions and filings under specified direct and indirect tax laws falling between 20 March 2020 and 29 June 2020 (or such later notified date) to 30 June 2020 (or such later notified date), permits the Central Government to set different dates for different actions, caps interest on delayed payments made by the extended date at three fourth percent per month, and prohibits levy of penalty or prosecution for the period of delay; it also inserts PM CARES Fund references in Income tax exemptions and creates power to extend CGST time limits for force majeure.

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.