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.

Pension fund governance reforms streamline trustee appointments and mandate improved disclosure and board committee structures.
Amendments streamline governance and compliance for NPS Trust and pension funds by simplifying Trustee and CEO appointment processes, clarifying Sponsor and Pension Fund roles, enforcing fit and proper criteria, aligning board composition with company law through mandated committees, enhancing disclosure with a Directors' responsibility statement in scheme annual reports, and requiring inclusion of the term pension fund in fund names while providing transitional compliance timeframes.

Human rights in corporate governance promoted to embed constitutional obligations and enhance supply chain due diligence and compliance.
Integration of human rights obligations into corporate practice is emphasised, highlighting constitutional human rights obligations and the need for ethical supply chain practices. Clarity in the role of business and human rights professionals is urged to manage reputational and legal risks and secure a social licence to operate. A human rights based approach is framed as essential to achieving sustainability objectives and aligning corporate activity with the Sustainable Development Goals, operationalised through a certified capacity building programme for corporate representatives to strengthen governance, due diligence and compliance culture.

Centralised Processing Centre for corporate filings enables faceless, time bound processing of specified company and LLP forms.
A Central Processing Centre (CPC) will centralise faceless, time bound processing of selected company and LLP filings, beginning with twelve specified forms from 16.02.2024 and expanding from 01.04.2024. Modeled on the CRC and C PACE, CPC aims to process an anticipated annual volume of filings without physical stakeholder interaction, expedite incorporation, compliance, conversions and buy back related submissions, and allow jurisdictional Registrars of Companies to focus on inquiries, inspections and investigations to reinforce corporate governance.

Startup support schemes expand recognition and funding for startups in Tamil Nadu, improving seed, venture and credit access.
The Startup India initiative operates three flagship schemes-Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)-delivered through incubators, SIDBI and NCGTC, with state-level allocations and disbursements to support startups. For Tamil Nadu, SISFS approved 20 incubators with disbursements, FFS committed capital to AIFs with partial disbursements, CGSS enabled a small number of collateral-free loans, and 7,559 startups are DPIIT recognised as of 31 December 2023.

Sectoral GVA composition shows Financial, Real Estate and Professional Services as the leading contributor to national GVA across recent estimates.
State-wise percentage shares by major economic sectors at current prices for 2018-19 through 2022-23 are presented, with annotations on non-compiled or unavailable data for certain Union Territories and years and a clarification that the Public Administration, Defence & Other Services category includes education, health and other personal services. Annexure-II summarises national GVA composition across recent estimates, indicating Financial, Real Estate & Professional Services as the principal sectoral contributor, with sectoral shares provided under Revised, Provisional and First Advance Estimates.

Board renewal and diversity: corporate boards urged to integrate skills, technology and stakeholder representation for resilient governance.
The event examined corporate board composition and governance reforms, focusing on board renewal, expanded diversity, and integration of technology into oversight. Speakers stressed that boards must proactively refresh membership and skill sets to address rapid technological change and broader stakeholder interests, emphasizing directors' evolving responsibilities, continuous learning, and inclusion of sustainability perspectives.

Environmental economic accounting enables integration of environmental data with national accounts to monitor sustainable development goals effectively.
Compilation of environmental accounts under the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) organizes statistics on the environment and its relationship with the economy, enabling integration with national accounts, international comparability, and replication over time. SEEA-based accounts are used to measure and monitor multiple Sustainable Development Goals and to provide robust information for policy design and progress monitoring toward sustainability objectives.

MPLAD Scheme project oversight improved by e-SAKSHI mobile application enabling MPs to propose, track and monitor projects in real time.
The MPLAD Scheme permits MPs to recommend local developmental works focused on durable community assets; the Ministry considers suggestions and guideline improvements through due process. The E-SAKSHI Mobile Application enables MPs to propose, track and oversee projects in real time, promoting transparency via instant status updates and streamlining communication with implementing authorities.