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Artificial intelligence is transforming the traditional hourly billing model in law firms by significantly reducing the time spent on routine legal tasks. According to Venkatesh Raman Prasad, partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, while AI tools can cut down time spent on document-heavy tasks, the impact on client bills depends on permissible use under engagement letters and matter complexity. AI has reduced research and documentation time by 20-30% and even more in big cases. Some law firms are adopting “hybrid billing,” a mix of fixed fees for AI-driven work and hourly billing for complex legal advice. With AI’s growing adoption, clients are demanding clarity on AI usage, and law firms are adapting to new billing models, with some experimenting with value-based pricing for research-heavy matters. Read Article

SEBI has proposed changes to related-party transaction rules, aiming to reduce disclosure requirements and ease compliance burdens on listed entities. According to Lalit Kumar, partner at JSA, the move will give companies more flexibility and reduce timelines for such transactions. Under the proposal, companies won’t need to disclose low-value transactions (less than ₹150 million) and only high-value deals will require shareholder approval, with thresholds based on company revenue. This marks a departure from the previous SEBI regime’s stricter rules. Read Article

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has established a 30-member Regulatory Review Cell (RRC) to streamline financial regulations and eliminate obsolete provisions. The RRC will evaluate existing rules, identify redundancies, and sunset outdated provisions, aiming to reduce compliance complexity and enhance transparency. Pratish Kumar, Partner at JSA, welcomed the RRC’s formation, citing its potential to cut through historical clutter and pave the way for a more streamlined regulatory environment, highlighting that legacy clauses still carry legal weight and foster inconsistencies. Read Article

Sebi’s new reforms aim to streamline mega IPOs by reducing the quota for individual investors from 35% to 25% and increasing the allocation for qualified institutional buyers from 50% to 60% for large IPOs. The reforms also propose easing mandatory dilution norms for mega listings, potentially benefiting companies like Reliance Jio Infocomm, NSE, and Flipkart. According to Madhurima Mukherjee Saha, Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, Sebi’s track record of amending rules as needed is beneficial, and a case-by-case exemption power for Sebi would aid in future scenarios requiring flexibility. The reforms are expected to boost institutional participation and reduce operational strain on intermediaries. Read Article

Indian banks are achieving more with fewer employees, leveraging technology and AI to drive growth and efficiency. Despite trimming their workforce, major banks like ICICI, HDFC, and State Bank of India have expanded customer-facing services and opened new branches. According to Probir Roy Chowdhury, Partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, “Compliance, customer experience, and competitive edge are all now linked to how well your tech works.” The banking sector is projected to spend $14.5 billion on IT in 2025, with a focus on cybersecurity, customer engagement, and regulatory-driven resilience. While AI adoption is still in its early stages, banks are experimenting with generative AI in customer service and internal operations, and investments are expected to increase in areas like AI-powered customer onboarding and fraud detection. Read Article

The rise of generative AI has introduced an unsettling question to Indian courts: when an AI system produces defamatory, misleading, or harmful content, who is legally responsible? Is it the developer who built the model, the organization that deployed it, the platform that hosted it, or as some futurists suggest, the AI itself? The implications are not just theoretical. In an age where AI tools can summarize news, generate reviews, or even simulate public figures’ speech, the line between transmission and publication blurs. Yajas Setlur, Partner at JSA, agrees. “Indian law draws a clear line between passive hosting and active curation by distinguishing intermediaries from publishers. If a platform merely transmits third-party or AI-generated content, it may be considered an intermediary. But once it actively curates or promotes that content, it could be treated as a publisher and held to a higher standard of accountability.” Read Article

One of the rights guaranteed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 is the right to be informed — about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods, products or services. Deceptive patterns used by digital platforms are classified as “unfair trade practices” under this law. Section 89 of the Act states that violation of the Central Consumer Protection Authority’s (CCPA) guidelines is a punishable offence. Any manufacturer or service provider responsible for a false or misleading advertisement that harms consumer interest can face imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh. Repeat offenders can be punished with up to five years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh. Read Article

Lease and license agreements are often used interchangeably, but they differ by a thin margin, which if ignored can land you in a legal soup. A lease, defined by Section 105 of the Transfer of Property Act, grants the right to enjoy an immovable property for a specified period in exchange for rent or other consideration. This arrangement involves a transfer of interest in the property, establishing a landlord-tenant relationship. Read Article

Aquiet revolu­tion is reshap­ing the legal lead­er­ship in India’s top cor­por­a­tions. The tra­di­tional image of the gen­eral coun­sels (GC), seasoned legal vet­er­ans in their late 40s or 50s, is giv­ing way to a new breed: young, agile, and tech-savvy legal lead­ers. The aver­age age for first­time GCS has dropped to 35-42 years, com­pared to the late 40s or 50s seen five to seven years ago, accord­ing to data shared by legal con­sult­ing and tal­ent man­age­ment firm Vahura. The data sug­gests a 3x rise in gen­eral coun­sel searches, espe­cially from high-growth and trans­form­a­tion-focused com­pan­ies. Read Article

The private credit market in India is growing rapidly, with assets under management (AUM) projected to reach $60-70 billion by 2028. As banks and NBFCs pull back from mid-market lending, AIFs are stepping in to fill the gap. According to Utsav Johri, Partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, large groups are controlling different kinds of lending entities, including AIFs. The market is seeing increased participation from domestic AIFs, mutual funds, and high-net-worth individuals, with private credit providers offering flexible and customized financing solutions to mid-sized corporates.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) in India is facing challenges, with resolution timelines increasing to 723 days for financial creditors, 724 days for operational creditors, and 577 days for corporate debtors. Experts, including Rajeshwar Rao, deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and Ashwini Kumar Tewari, managing director of the State Bank of India, suggest reforms like dedicated NCLT benches and stricter procedural norms to improve the IBC process. Divyanshu Pandey, partner at JSA, emphasizes the need for infrastructure ramp-up and commercially savvy judges in NCLTs and NCLAT to stop differing views on IBC and make it more effective. The article highlights the importance of reimagining the IBC to achieve its objectives of resolution over liquidation and preserving recovery value. Read Article

India’s asset-backed investment trusts, like real estate investment trusts (Reits) and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs), are expected to expand debt fundraising as yields drop. According to data, these trusts raised over ₹17,800 crore ($2.07 billion) in the first half of 2025. Arka Mookerjee, partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, notes that bonds offer a lower cost of capital for highly rated trusts with stable cash flows, making them attractive for debt financing. With falling interest rates and corporate bond yields tumbling, trusts like Embassy Office Parks Reit and IndiGrid Infrastructure Trust are tapping the bond market for funding, which provides clarity on financial planning and attracts institutional investors. Read Article