Search: InvIT
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October 2026
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Trademark & IPDraft guidelines on design registration of GUIs and icons: registrable only when applied to an article; comments invited within 30 days
Comments within 30 daysComments invitedThe Patent Office has published draft Guidelines for Registration of Designs relating to GUI & Icon under the Designs Act, 2000. A GUI or icon shown on its own will not be registrable; it must be applied to an article such as a mobile phone or monitor. Stakeholders can send comments by e-mail within 30 days of the public notice.
September 2026
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FSSAIFSSAI draft: only milk-derived products may be called ‘Paneer’; analogue products to drop the term from name, label and marketing
‘Paneer’ only if from milkComments invitedFSSAI has proposed a draft amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 to restrict the manufacture and sale of analogue products as “Paneer”. This is a draft: objections and suggestions are invited, and it will be taken up after 60 days from the date the Gazette copies are made available to the public.
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SEBISEBI Board: first-time debt issuers need not list old NCDs, one advertisement code for seven intermediaries, new Settlement Regulations and Depository Receipts on REIT/InvIT units
Reg 62A eased; one ad codeNew facilityFour decisions of the SEBI Board of 24 September 2026 matter to issuers and regulated entities: Regulation 62A of the LODR Regulations will require listing only of future NCD issues; a Common Advertisement Code drops prior approval for most advertisements; Settlement Regulations, 2026 bring a new formula and a settlement notice before the show cause notice; and REITs and InvITs get Depository Receipts and easier unitholder voting.
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SEBISEBI Board meeting of 24 September 2026: all 13 items in one table — new Portfolio Managers and Settlement Regulations, FPIs in commodity derivatives, Accredited Investor changes
SEBI Board: 13 itemsNew facilityThe 215th meeting of the SEBI Board, held in Mumbai on 24 September 2026, cleared a long list: new Portfolio Managers Regulations, new Settlement Regulations, a Common Advertisement Code, FPIs in more commodity derivatives, wider Vault Manager rules, changes for REITs and InvITs, an easier debt-listing rule and a reworked Accredited Investor framework. A fourth settlement scheme for illiquid stock options was placed before it.
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FEMA & RBIBanks must value unquoted InvIT and REIT units at disclosed NAV — and at ₹1 if NAV is not disclosed as SEBI requires or the units are infrequently traded
InvIT/REIT units: NAV or ₹1ClarifiedRBI has inserted paragraphs 84A and 84B in the Commercial Banks investment portfolio Directions, 2025 to bring uniformity in how banks value units of Infrastructure Investment Trusts and Real Estate Investment Trusts. Quoted units follow the rules for quoted securities; unquoted units are valued at the NAV disclosed by the trust, failing which at ₹1. In force from 22 September 2026.
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LicencesDraft Drugs Rules amendment proposes mandatory CCTV at medical stores to tighten sale of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs
CCTV at medical stores: draftComments invitedThe Union Health Ministry has proposed amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945 through Draft Gazette Notification G.S.R. 791 (E) dated 8 September 2026, recommending mandatory CCTV surveillance at medical stores as an additional safeguard for Schedule H, H1 and X drugs. It is a draft; objections and suggestions are invited.
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Foreign TradeDGFT proposes to rewrite Para 2.93 of the Handbook of Procedures on non-preferential Rules of Origin, for exports and imports: Trade Notice 27/2026-27
Comments within 15 daysComments invitedDGFT has published a draft Public Notice that would replace Para 2.93 of the Handbook of Procedures, 2023 so that it prescribes non-preferential Rules of Origin for both exports and imports. For imports, the draft proposes origin by change in tariff heading or 35% value addition, declared by the importer through a self-declaration. Comments are invited within 15 days.
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FEMA & RBIRBI draft: banks to follow an SOP for temporary debit holds on accounts linked to mule activity and cyber fraud
Debit-hold SOPComments invitedThe draft KYC Amendment Directions, 2026 follow a Supreme Court order of 4 August 2026. Comments were invited up to 2 October 2026.
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Foreign TradeDGFT proposes to suspend 544 Standard Input Output Norms unused for three years; comments invited within 15 days: Trade Notice No. 26/2026-27
544 SIONs may be suspendedComments invitedAfter reviewing utilisation of Standard Input Output Norms, DGFT has listed 544 SIONs that were not used under the Advance Authorisation or DFIA schemes in the last three financial years and proposes to suspend them. Trade and industry may send comments, with reasons for retaining any SION, within 15 days of the trade notice dated 7 September 2026.
August 2026
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SEBIInvITs: SEBI allows add-back of debt-funded major maintenance expense of road projects in Net Distributable Cash Flows, with unitholder approval
Major maintenance add-backRule changeSEBI has changed the framework for computing Net Distributable Cash Flows of InvITs. Payments towards major maintenance expense of road projects, to the extent funded by external borrowing, can be added back at the HoldCo/SPV level and at the Trust level. The add-back needs unitholder approval with at least 60% of votes cast, a statutory auditor’s certificate and specified disclosures.
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Company LawNCLT e-Certified Copy: how to apply, the 7-day payment window, and why each copy can be used for one filing only
One copy, one filingRule changeNCLT’s Standard Operating Procedure for e-Certified Copies sets out the route on the e-Filing portal: one application per copy, payment within 7 days of approval, and a digitally signed Facing Sheet with QR code. Once a copy is authenticated by a court or tribunal it cannot be used again; a fresh copy has to be applied for.
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Foreign TradeDraft SOP for reporting inward remittances routed through NBFC Factors, for eBRC self-certification: DGFT Trade Notice 20/2026-27 invites comments
Comments within 30 daysComments invitedDGFT has circulated a draft Standard Operating Procedure on how Inward Remittance Messages (IRMs) are to be reported when export proceeds come through NBFC Factors. Factors would tag their SWIFT messages so that AD-I banks do not create IRMs for factoring proceeds; exporters would see factor-linked IRMs on the DGFT portal to self-certify eBRCs. Comments are invited within 30 days.
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FEMA & RBIRBI draft proposes to rewrite banks’ leverage ratio chapter on the Basel 2017 standard from 1 April 2027; text puts the minimum at 4% for D-SIBs and 3.5% for other banks
Leverage ratio: draft rewriteComments invitedRBI released a draft on 7 August 2026 to amend Chapter VII (Leverage Ratio framework) of its capital adequacy Directions for commercial banks, to align with the Basel Committee’s ‘Leverage Ratio 2017 Standard’. The draft sets out how the exposure measure is to be built from on-balance sheet, derivative, SFT and off-balance sheet exposures, and proposes 1 April 2027 as the date of effect. Comments were invited till 28 August 2026; the window has closed.
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FEMA & RBIRBI draft proposes NBFCs offer only term loans, no revolving credit — credit-card NBFCs excepted; comment window closed on 28 August 2026
Draft: no revolving creditComments invitedRBI released draft amendment directions on 6 August 2026 proposing that an NBFC offer only credit products in the nature of term loans and no revolving credit products, except an NBFC authorised by RBI to issue credit cards. The draft defines “term loan” and “revolving credit” and proposes to delete the demand/call loan provisions. Comments were invited by 28 August 2026; that window has closed.
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FEMA & RBIRBI proposes to resume licensing of Urban Co-operative Banks ‘on tap’: draft asks for ₹10,000 crore deposits and ₹300 crore net worth from credit societies
UCB licences: draft rulesComments invitedRBI published draft guidelines on 5 August 2026 for licensing Urban Co-operative Banks on an ‘on tap’ basis. As proposed, only credit co-operative societies that are at least 10 years old, registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002, with deposits of at least ₹10,000 crore and net worth of at least ₹300 crore could apply. Comments were invited till 5 September 2026; that window has closed.
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Foreign TradeTRQ applications: India–UK CETA last date extended to 9 August 2026 (Public Notice 26/2026-27); India–Oman CEPA window for FY 2026-27 was 4–19 August (Public Notice 24/2026-27)
TRQ: UK CETA, Oman CEPAExtendedTwo DGFT public notices on Tariff Rate Quota. Public Notice 26/2026-27 extended the last date for online TRQ applications under the India–UK CETA for CY 2026 up to 9 August 2026. Public Notice 24/2026-27 invited TRQ applications under the India–Oman CEPA for FY 2026-27 from 4 to 19 August 2026 on 30 tariff lines, with product-specific documents for marble and PET flakes.
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