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The November 10 Red Fort attack, which killed 15, is linked to a “white-collar terror module” with seven suspects in white-collar jobs, a sharp contrast to 2010–2024, when only three of 57 terror-linked accused held such roles. “There was an emerging need to address issues related to professional/ freelance (gig) services, technology enablement, and new ways of working. These had necessitated implementation of contemporary work arrangements to address the current needs of corporates, public sector employers, individual workforce, consultants, and freelance/ gig workers,” Minu Dwivedi, partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, said. Read more

The notification of the four Labour Codes is one of the biggest overhauls of labour regulation in independent India, but for smaller companies it is likely to lead to higher costs. A lot will depend on the final guidelines and how the State governments implement them. By merging 29 different laws into a single framework on wages, social security, industrial relations and workplace safety, the government has tried to bring uniformity and reduce the confusion that employees and companies often face. Sajai Singh, Partner, JSA Advocates and Solicitors, said on paper, India is creating a future-ready workforce by cherry picking 30 odd labour and employment statutes into four labour codes. Allowing women to work in night shifts in various Sectors and recognition of gig workers and their rights stand out as progressive moves, that recognises the times we live and work in, he added. Minu Dwivedi, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors, said these labour laws were originally formulated for the manufacturing sector as it existed several decades ago and did not fully cater to the needs of the services Sector as well as today’s manufacturing sector. There was an emerging need to address issues related to professional/ freelance (gig) services, technology enablement and new ways of working, he said. Preetha S, Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors, said for proactive employers, this is an unparalleled opportunity to transcend traditional adherence and proactively architect a future-ready, resilient workforce strategy that aligns with both statutory mandates and commercial objectives. While the sheer scale of labour codes might appear daunting, she said this is a defining moment for Indian businesses to recalibrate and undertake a comprehensive review and overhaul of their internal HR policies, employment contracts and compliance frameworks. Read more

“There was an emerging need to address issues related to professional/ freelance (gig) services, technology enablement, and new ways of working, which had necessitated implementation of contemporary work arrangements to address the current needs of the corporates, public sector employers, individual workforce, consultants, and freelance/ gig workers, Minu Dwivedi, partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, noted. Read more

The implementation of the Digital Personal (DPDP) rules is expected to drive a sharp rise in technology and compliance spending across enterprises, with industry estimates indicating a 10–30% increase in IT and tech budgets, depending on organisational scale and data maturity.  “As such, aggregators who consider gig and platform workers engaged by them as independent contractors and do not provide social security benefits on this basis will now be required to provide such benefits to such workers,” said Minu Dwivedi, partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors. Read more

Provisions restricting cross-border data transfers in the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and the rules are expected to drive large companies, especially global tech firms, to build local compute infrastructure. Probir Roy Chowdhury, Partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, said companies might localise data despite the absence of explicit mandates. He explained, “There are provisions (Section 16) allowing the government to notify certain countries as blacklisted countries where data cannot be transferred, and Rule 13(4) imposes limited restrictions on data transfer for processing certain kinds of data by SDFs.” Read more

Adani has publicised its goal of achieving a 15 GW renewable energy park at Khavda in Gujarat. Reliance India is building a fully integrated ‘sand-to‐module’ manufacturing ecosystem at its Jamnagar facility in Gujarat. With the government’s generous PLI (Production Linked Incentive) schemes underway, the country is signalling a major push into solar manufacturing. Kartikeya G.S., Partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors, noted that while India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and other state-level measures are designed to foster self-reliance, they now face scrutiny at the World Trade Organization (WTO). “China has challenged India’s policies on the grounds that they allegedly favour domestic over imported goods, but India is likely to argue that the norms are meant to incentivise local industry rather than discourage foreign suppliers,” he explained. Read more

Banks are expected to increasingly rely on external commercial borrowings (ECBs) to fund mergers and acquisitions as the Reserve Bank of India’s proposed overhaul of the ECB framework creates a new pathway for acquisition financing. Experts say the move reflects the RBI’s recognition of the strong momentum in India’s M&A and real estate markets. “The RBI has noted the growing momentum in India’s M&A and real estate sector. By proposing to allow IFSC banking units and foreign branches of Indian banks to participate in M&A and real estate financing under the ECB route, the RBI aims to leverage this trust and further strengthen the Indian financial market,” said Nand Gopal Anand, JSA Advocates & Solicitors. Read more

Global companies will spend at least $5 billion by 2027 overhauling compliance systems, as conflicting AI regulations across just 50 per cent of world economies force firms to build country specific data controls, according to latest research data by Gartner. Overall, compliance costs can include legal and consultancy fees, appointing of data protection professionals, building of technical compliance systems, staff training and audits, said Probir Roy Chowdhury, partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors. Read more

Banks have flagged several restrictions in the Reserve Bank of India’s acquisition financing guidelines that they believe will limit their participation in the merger and acquisition (M&A) space. These include capital caps, equity restructuring as well as inability to fund smaller deals. According to banking sources, a detailed representation has already been made to the banking regulator. Similarly, on profitability requirements, Pratish Kumar, partner, JSA, said, “Mandating a three-year profitability track record for the target company risks undermining commercial judgement. Banks are well equipped to assess risk and should be trusted to evaluate the strategic merit of each deal” He added the proposed 70:30 debt-equity ratio for unlisted acquisitions is overly restrictive. “A shift to 80:20 would offer banks greater flexibility without compromising on prudential norms, he added. Read more

The Digital Personal Data T Protection Rules, 2025, may force e-commerce, ride-hailing and food delivery apps to rethink the way they design their interfaces. For years, platforms have engaged in forced opt-ins, buried optouts, and misleading prompts to trick users into sharing more data than they intended. “They sit at the intersection of high-volume data collection and UI (user interface)-led decision-making,” said Probir Roy Chowdhury, partner, JSA Advocates and Solicitors. Read more

Cash App’s “Moneybot” is redefining banking for Gen Z by using AI to provide personalized, conversational financial advice and real-time spending insights. This shift democratizes access to financial guidance, reducing decision fatigue for young investors and prompting competitors to adopt similar AI-driven strategies. Read more

India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules are forcing the country’s advertising and martech ecosystem to undertake its most far-reaching reconstruction yet. The new consent regime, requiring permissions to be “free, specific, informed, and unambiguous’, has effectively outlawed the behavioural tracking mechanism that fuelled everything from big sale banners to festival-time ads. “Data fiduciaries need to implement technical and organisational measures to verify that the individual claiming to be the parent or a lawful guardian is an identifiable adult,” says Akshaya Suresh, partner at JSA Advocates & Solicitors. Read more