Corporate governance strengthened by director training and regulator collaboration to enhance audit oversight and reporting transparency.
The Master Class advances sound corporate governance by strengthening audit oversight, encouraging active engagement on Key Audit Matters and Emphasis of Matters, and promoting regular review of regulatory disciplinary orders; it outlines five layered governance defences and urges audit committees to master key audit standards.

Ongoing corporate investigation refutes reports of clearance in Byju's probe; no final conclusion should be assumed.
MCA clarifies that reports asserting Byju's has been cleared of financial fraud are incorrect and misleading and that proceedings initiated under the Companies Act remain ongoing proceedings, so no final determination has been reached.

Combination approval enables intra-group realignment of ownership and management under a family settlement agreement.
CCI approved a proposed intra-group combination implementing realignment of interests, legal ownership and management across Godrej group entities pursuant to a Family Settlement Agreement among the family branches. The combination encompasses two clusters: the GILAC Group Entities (including Godrej Industries, Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Properties, Godrej Agrovet, Godrej Seeds & Genetics, Innovia Multiventures, Astec Lifesciences and Anamudi Real Estates LLP) and the G&B Group Entities (including Godrej & Boyce, Godrej Holdings, Godrej Infotech and RKN Enterprises).

Acquisition restructuring: Share transfers permit investor and sponsor reallocation in WeWork India ownership, with post-transaction governance adjustments.
Approval of a two-step acquisition: Real Trustee (trustee for Volrado II and Volrado III) and co-acquirers will acquire certain share capital of We Work India on a fully diluted basis from Embassy Buildcon; subsequently Embassy Buildcon will acquire 100% of OAW from We Work International, resulting in Embassy Buildcon indirectly holding We Work India shares and in aggregate continuing to hold majority shareholding on a fully diluted basis.

Competition approval for foreign SPVs to acquire minority stakes in an InvIT and its investment manager, with governance rights.
CCI approved a proposed combination where two foreign-owned SPVs will acquire roughly 24% of the unitholding in a private Infrastructure Investment Trust and, simultaneously, about 24% of the equity in the trust's investment manager with a director nomination right. The Acquirers are Netherlands-incorporated SPVs of a global toll-road developer; the Private InvIT holds multiple concessioned highway assets through SPVs and operates under Indian trust and SEBI InvIT regulations. A detailed CCI order will follow.

R&D disclosure standards proposed to standardise reporting and create a central portal for corporate R&D data tracking.
The document calls for a standardised R&D definition, common reporting templates and potential mandatory disclosures, supported by a dedicated real-time web portal to aggregate and monitor corporate R&D data. It recommends bifurcated public-private company databases, enhanced private-sector participation through public private funding models, and integration of R&D metrics with ESG reporting to improve comparability, transparency and policy targeting of corporate R&D expenditure.

CSR legal regime clarity promotes ESG integration and compliance through professional capacity building and leadership development.
Corporate Social Responsibility capacity building concentrated on integrating ESG with CSR practice, enhancing compliance awareness, and developing strategic leadership. The programme combined technical sessions, project presentations and expert feedback to improve implementation by implementing agencies and corporate attachments. A focused review of the legal regime of CSR examined recent regulatory amendments and implications for corporate governance, reporting and responsible business conduct, while promoting measurement, ESG alignment, and professional collaboration for sustained, accountable CSR delivery.

Combination approval: IndoEdge LVF to acquire a minority stake and certain rights in MG Motor India.
Approval of a proposed combination where IndoEdge India Fund - Large Value Fund (LVF) Scheme will acquire up to approximately eight percent of MG Motor India Private Limited's share capital, encompassing specified voting and economic rights and certain attendant rights; the Acquirer is a Category II alternative investment fund for accredited investors and the Target is an Indian automobile original equipment manufacturer chiefly engaged in manufacture and sale of passenger cars, including electric vehicles. A detailed regulatory order will follow.

ESG professional certification expands access via full scholarships and online programme for CSR and sustainability professionals.
IICA and HP India launched a collaborative ESG professional programme offering fully funded scholarships and an open nomination process on the IICA website. The course delivers a comprehensive online curriculum comprising self-paced e-learning modules, live interactive master classes by national and international ESG experts, and one in-person networking session. Eligibility requires a bachelor's degree and relevant professional experience, and the programme targets practitioners in business and human rights, ESG, EHS, sustainability, and CSR, with administrative details and admissions information provided on the programme webpage.

Competition clearance for full acquisition of a thermal power company permits transfer of control despite ongoing insolvency proceedings.
Approval by the Competition Commission is recorded for the Acquirer's acquisition of the entire equity capital of the Target, a thermal power generator; the Target is undergoing Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process, and a detailed regulatory order will follow.

Competition approval: Subscription to CCPS B in API Holdings by MEMG and 360 ONE proceeds after regulatory review.
Competition regulator approved the subscription to Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) B of API Holdings by MEMG Family Office LLP and 360 ONE Private Equity Fund. The Proposed Combination involves subscription acquisitions by the two acquirers in an unlisted public company active in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector and was assessed as a reportable combination under the Competition Act, 2002.

Competition approval for acquisition of grey cement business under composite scheme enables transfer of specified cement assets.
Competition approval was granted for UltraTech Cement Limited to acquire the grey cement business of Kesoram Industries Limited under a composite scheme of arrangement and an implementation agreement dated 30 November 2023, permitting transfer of the specified cement assets while excluding Kesoram's rayon, transparent paper and chemicals businesses; a detailed CCI order will be issued.

Claims settlement reform: stakeholder comments invited to streamline refund process under Companies Act and submission procedures.
IEPFA has initiated a public consultation to streamline the claims settlement and refund process under the Companies Act, 2013 by inviting stakeholder comments on draft rules and procedural reforms. Stakeholders must submit feedback via the MCA eConsultation module or by email using the prescribed format linking draft rule paragraphs with comments and justifications; consultation materials and the prescribed format are available on the Authority's and MCA websites.

Merger approval: fintech entity to merge into a small finance bank after regulatory clearance and composite amalgamation filing.
CCI granted approval for the merger of Garagepreneurs Internet Private Limited and its related entities into North East Small Finance Bank Limited under a composite scheme of amalgamation, encompassing Quadrillion Finance Private Limited, Intergalactory Foundry Private Limited and RGVN (North-East) Microfinance Limited, with the composite scheme to be filed before the relevant tribunal; GIPL operates digital payment and credit services under the brand "slice" targeting underbanked customers, and NESFB is a private small finance bank operating across North Eastern states and West Bengal.

Digital competition law consultation: public comments invited on draft bill and committee report before the consultation deadline.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs published the Committee on Digital Competition Law's Report and the Draft Bill on Digital Competition Law and has invited public comments via its e consultation module; both documents are available on the Ministry's website and comments must be submitted by the stated deadline.

Threshold revision for combinations raises asset and turnover triggers and increases de minimis filing limits under Competition Act.
Revision of combination filing thresholds under the Competition Act, 2002 increases asset- and turnover-based jurisdictional triggers for enterprise- and group-level tests, adjusting India-only and India-or-outside-India valuation tests. The government also raised de minimis thresholds for assets and turnover, changing the minimum benchmarks that exempt transactions from notification, effected under the statute's executive power to revise monetary thresholds.

Corporate governance: future-ready boards and transparency prioritized with emphasis on DEI and independent directors to support national development vision.
The webinar emphasised strengthening corporate governance to support the national development vision by promoting future-ready boards, protecting stakeholder interests, and integrating sustainable business practices. It stressed the role of independent directors in ensuring transparency, accountability, integrity and financial discipline, and the need to advance DEI and women's leadership as part of governance reforms, while committing to continued capacity-building and dialogue to advance governance excellence.

Transparent financial reporting and audit quality reinforce corporate governance through regulatory commitment and stakeholder collaboration.
Transparent financial reporting and audit quality were advanced as central regulatory objectives and governance pillars, with speakers stressing government commitment, NFRA's role in upholding reporting and audit standards, and the need to strengthen regulatory frameworks and enforcement for investor protection. The conference prioritized leveraging technology in audits, updating auditing standards, reinforcing audit committees and independent directors, promoting audit market competition, improving reporting practices, and integrating sustainability reporting.

Structured Partial Credit Enhancement facility urged to deepen bond markets and mobilise long term infrastructure capital.
The Union Finance Minister reviewed NaBFID's operational performance and collaborations, noting its sanctions across infrastructure sub sectors and long tenor lending. The Minister directed NaBFID to implement a Structured Partial Credit Enhancement facility to deepen bond markets, establish a Data Repository for the Infrastructure Sector to support national infrastructure initiatives and crowd in patient capital, and to develop sector specialisation to underwrite large and complex projects.

Subscriber protection strengthened: revised Trustee Bank and CRA regulations enhance fraud prevention and governance measures.
Amendments to Trustee Bank and Central Recordkeeping Agency regulations strengthen subscriber protection by mandating implementation of a fraud prevention and mitigation policy, procedures for compensation to subscribers, and streamlined registration and surrender processes, while CRA reforms align governance with the Companies Act, require CEO certification on internal controls and compliance, introduce a fit and proper person criterion for CRA and key personnel, and enhance disclosure to reduce compliance burden and improve ease of doing business.