Combination approvals under competition law: three corporate transactions cleared including acquisitions and a pharmacy restructuring.
Approval of corporate combinations under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002 for three transactions: (i) Varenna Holdings Limited's acquisition of equity in Dixcy Textiles Pvt. Ltd., where Varenna already holds 60% and is an indirect subsidiary of Advent managed funds; (ii) acquisition of approximately up to 25.02% of Federal Mogul Goetze (India) Limited by Icahn Enterprises L.P., American Entertainment Properties Corp. and IEH FMGI Holdings L.L.C., acting in concert with Tenneco Inc.; and (iii) transfer by slump sale of AHEL's front end pharmacy business to Apollo Pharmacies Limited and its subsequent acquisition by identified investors.

Corporate law reform committee to recommend re-categorisation of offences and settlement mechanisms enhancing ease of doing business.
A Company Law Committee has been constituted to review implementation of the Companies Act, 2013 and the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 to enhance Ease of Doing Business and corporate compliance. Its remit includes re-categorising certain offences as civil wrongs where appropriate, examining settlement mechanisms and deferred prosecution agreements, reviewing the LLP framework, proposing measures to improve NCLT functioning and remove bottlenecks in statutory bodies, and identifying specific provisions and Forms requiring amendment. The Committee will submit phased, subject-wise recommendations and has an initial one-year tenure from its first meeting.

Protection of domestic enterprises through proactive competition oversight and suo motu action to address cross border market abuse.
The Finance Minister urged the Competition Commission to safeguard Indian enterprises from abusive conduct by entities operating from other jurisdictions, monitor global market developments, adopt proactive market surveillance including suo motu action, and prepare for a renewed operational phase to address latent domestic and cross border competitive harms while balancing restraint and facilitation.

Differential voting rights expanded to strengthen promoter control while broadening eligibility for issuing such shares.
Amendments expand the framework for issuance of shares with Differential Voting Rights by substantially raising the cap on voting power allocable to DVR shares and removing the former three-year distributable profits prerequisite, thereby broadening eligibility to issue DVRs. The rules also extend the permissible period for startups recognized by the DPIIT to grant Employee Stock Options to promoters or directors with significant equity from the prior five-year limit to a longer ten-year window from incorporation.

Green channel for merger approvals to fast-track combinations with disclosure-based checks and penalties for nondisclosure.
Recommend a Green Channel to fast-track merger notifications, including combinations from insolvency resolution, moving to a disclosure-based regime with strict consequences for inaccurate information; introduce a deal-value threshold for notifications and CCI guidelines on penalties; adopt Settlement and Commitments for faster enforcement; add express provisions for hub-and-spoke and atypical anti-competitive agreements; create a dedicated appellate bench, strengthen CCI governance via a Governing Board while converting the DG's office into an Investigation Division with protected autonomy, and open regional CCI offices for non-adjudicatory functions.

Corporate social responsibility: Recommend CSR expenditure be tax deductible and allow 3-5 year carry-forward of unspent funds.
Recommend treating CSR expenditure as tax deductible with carry forward of unspent balances for 3-5 years; align Schedule 7 to an SDG plus framework adding areas such as sports, senior citizens' welfare, disability welfare, disaster management and heritage protection; require impact assessments for CSR obligations of Rs. 5 crore or more; register implementation agencies on the regulator portal; create a CSR exchange; permit social benefit bonds and promote social impact companies; discourage CSR as substitute funding for government schemes; exempt companies with prescribed CSR below Rs. 50 lakh from a CSR Committee; and make CSR noncompliance a civil offence under the penalty regime.

CIRP time limit set to include litigation and judicial stages under amended insolvency framework, emphasising rescue over liquidation.
Parliament approved amendments to seven sections of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code to prioritise corporate rescue over liquidation and to require completion of the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process within a single prescribed period that expressly includes litigation stages and judicial processes, thereby setting a definitive procedural horizon for timely resolution while maintaining necessary court engagement.

Liquidation timelines and sale as going concern clarified, with creditor contribution rules and stakeholders' consultation for sales.
Amendments clarify withdrawal regimes for insolvency applications, empower the Committee of Creditors to provide for liquidation cost contributions, recommend sale of the corporate debtor or its business as a going concern, and fix liquidator fees in consultation with the resolution professional. Liquidation rules prescribe sale-as-going-concern procedures that close liquidation without dissolution, establish a model timeline to expedite closure, require proportionate financial creditor contributions to liquidation costs where liquid resources are insufficient, create a non binding Stakeholders' Consultation Committee to advise on sales, mandate claim submission or update as of liquidation commencement, and require a compliance certificate with the final report.

Ombudsman timelines require awards within three months and mediation recommendations within one month after required submissions.
Statistics for Bima Lokpal Jaipur and Chandigarh (1 July 2018-30 June 2019) show numbers of life and general insurance complaints received and resolved, with categories for awards, withdrawals, and non-entertainable matters. The statement highlights Rule 17(4), requiring finalisation and awarding within three months after receipt of all requirements, and Rule 16(1), requiring a mediation recommendation within one month of mutual written consent, with copies to complainant and insurer.

Mis-selling prevention: insurers must adopt board approved policies and follow point of sale rules or face regulatory action.
Insurers must adopt a board approved policy to prevent mis selling and comply with prescribed point of sale obligations; advertising and disclosure rules prohibit unfair or misleading communications; intermediary regulations set codes of conduct for agents, corporate agents and brokers; and the IRDAI's Integrated Grievance Management System records and enables monitoring of complaints, reporting volumes and pendency across public and private general insurers.

Interest subvention scheme lowers effective crop loan cost via lender subvention and farmer prompt repayment incentive.
The scheme reduces effective borrower cost by combining a lender subvention paid to lending institutions and a prompt repayment incentive for farmers; cooperative banks receive the lender subvention directly and access concessional refinance from a Short Term Cooperative Rural Credit Refinance Fund funded from priority sector shortfalls, with refinance sanctions capped at forty percent of Realistic Lending Programme and average prior utilisation due to limited corpus.

Direct sale of biodiesel permitted under regulated blending limits and standards; public-private plantation schemes faced feedstock and viability issues.
The Government authorised direct sale of biodiesel (B100) for blending with high speed diesel to all consumers subject to specified blending limits and compliance with national standards, and issued Guidelines for sale of Biodiesel for blending with high speed diesel for transportation purposes. State-owned oil companies' plantation ventures with Panchayats to grow jatropha/pongamia closed or exited due to poor yields, high operating costs and non-availability of seeds from Panchayats, highlighting operational constraints in securing feedstock under the public-private plantation model.

Corporate insolvency timelines tightened to enforce time bound resolution and clarify restructuring, distribution and creditor voting rules.
The Bill permits comprehensive corporate restructuring within resolution plans, emphasizes time bound disposal and sets an overall outer limit for completion of the corporate insolvency resolution process. It clarifies a voting mechanism for financial creditors, allows commercial considerations in distribution proposals by the Committee of Creditors, and requires that dissenting financial creditors and operational creditors receive at least the higher of amounts under plan distribution or liquidation distribution, with retrospective effect where plans have not attained finality. Resolution plans are made binding on all stakeholders including government authorities, and the Committee may decide liquidation after its constitution and before the information memorandum is prepared.

MSME regulatory measures expand digital registration, procurement monitoring and delayed payment redressal to strengthen credit and technology support.
To stimulate MSME growth, the Government simplified registration through a one page Udyog Aadhar Memorandum, launched the MSME SAMBANDH portal to monitor public procurement policy for MSEs, and introduced the MSME SAMADHAN portal for registering delayed payment cases; complementary measures include a Credit Guarantee Scheme, Credit Linked Capital Subsidy for Technological Upgradation, cluster development, marketing assistance, skill and entrepreneurship programmes and the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme.

National Rural Bank proposal prompts consolidation and support measures to strengthen regional rural banks and governance frameworks.
Proposal for a National Rural Bank was considered but not pursued; instead the government pursued phased amalgamation of RRBs, provided recapitalization support to meet regulatory capital requirements, instituted periodic financial and performance reviews, and directed NABARD to deliver capacity building, policy support for human resources and grievance redressal through joint consultative mechanisms to strengthen RRB efficiency and rural credit flow.

Security enforcement under SARFAESI Act enables lenders to recover secured debts and requires approved valuation.
The SARFAESI Act enables banks and financial institutions to enforce security interests and sell secured assets without court intervention, subject to procedural safeguards. The Authorised Officer must obtain an approved valuer's valuation and, with the secured creditor, fix a reserve price before sale. Aggrieved debtors may appeal to the Debts Recovery Tribunal and then to the Debts Recovery Appellate Tribunal. The Act applies uniformly to debtors and, following substantive legislative amendment in 2016, there is no current proposal to amend the Act or Rules.

Mutual fund regulatory compliance: SEBI escalates enforcement for valuation, expense, borrowing, governance and disclosure breaches.
Regulatory oversight found compliance failures in mutual funds-improper expense appropriation, valuation non compliance, impermissible borrowing, maturity mismatches in closed end schemes, and sectoral concentration breaches-prompting warning and deficiency letters and enforcement proceedings; regulators have tightened disclosure, governance, expense, conflict mitigation, scheme categorisation, and cyber resilience requirements to enhance transparency and investor protection.

Infrastructure investment growth: government policy combines sectoral programmes with market financing and PPP mobilisation.
To boost investment the Government has advanced a mix of sectoral development programmes and market-based financing measures. Sectoral initiatives target transport, ports, air connectivity and power distribution through named programmes. Complementary measures emphasise innovative financing vehicles and market intermediation, including promotion of Investment Trusts and Infrastructure Debt Funds, mainstreaming of Public Private Partnerships with viability gap funding, periodic sectoral classification reviews, and establishment of a national investment vehicle to mobilise long-term infrastructure capital.

Infrastructure investment: government policy expands sectoral programmes and financing vehicles to mobilise private capital and funds.
To scale infrastructure investment and meet growth targets, the government combines sectoral programmes (roads, ports, regional air connectivity, power distribution) with financing and delivery mechanisms: innovative financing vehicles such as Infrastructure Debt Funds, Infrastructure Investment Trusts, Real Estate Investment Trusts; mainstreamed Public Private Partnerships supported by viability gap funding; regular harmonized sector classification; and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund to mobilise and aggregate long-term capital.

Virtuous cycle model to spur growth: blueprint stresses private investment, behavioural tools, data as public good and legal reform.
The Survey proposes a strategic blueprint to achieve higher sustained GDP growth by creating a virtuous cycle linking private investment, jobs, exports and demand, with private investment as the main driver. It prescribes operational tools including application of Behavioral Economics to induce behavioural change, treating data as a public good, strengthening contract enforcement, and ensuring policy consistency to keep the economy on the strategic path.