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CAM COMMENT: The Calcutta High Court’s new IP Division recently set aside the Deputy Registrar of Trademark’s unreasoned orders that allowed the registration of the “Dunlop” word mark for eight product categories on a “proposed to be used” basis. This landmark judgment, arising from appeals filed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, underscores the critical importance of procedural fairness, detailed consideration of material facts (including fraud allegations), and the necessity for reasoned decisions in intellectual property adjudication before the new IP Division. It serves as a significant precedent, emphasising rigorous standards for trademark registration processes and judicial review within the new specialised divisions.

Continue Reading Calcutta’s New IP Division Delivers Landmark Judgment: Sets Aside Unreasoned Trademark Orders
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Introduction

The Securities and Exchange Board of India  (“SEBI”) had introduced amendments to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 (“SEBI LODR Regulations”), vide the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (“Amendment Regulations”). These provisions came into effect from April 1, 2025, for high value debt listed entities (“HVDLEs”), with listed non-convertible debt securities of outstanding value of INR 1,000 crore or above (during a financial year) as of March 31, 2025. Such entities must ensure compliance within six months from the trigger date. The determination will have to be done on March 31 in the subsequent financial years.

Continue Reading Debt with Discipline: Key changes introduced to SEBI LODR Regulations relevant for high value debt listed entities

In Part 1 of the blog post series, we explored the complex and multi-layered regulatory framework governing alcohol advertising and packaging in India. We discussed how both central and state laws — shaped by constitutional mandates, statutory provisions, and evolving self-regulatory guidelines — intersect to create a challenging compliance landscape. As we highlighted, the rise of surrogate advertising and the tightening grip of regulators have significantly reshaped industry practices. In this second part, we turn our focus to the fast-evolving regulatory environment specific to digital media, packaging and labelling norms, and the divergent approaches adopted by Indian states. As online platforms become increasingly central to brand communication and consumer engagement, and as product labelling becomes a site of regulatory scrutiny, it is essential to unpack the distinct legal developments shaping the alcohol industry’s future in India.

Continue Reading Pouring Over the Law: Navigating Alcohol Advertising & Packaging Regulations in India – Part 2
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Vanashakti V. Union of India: Supreme Court Puts an End to Ex-Post Facto Environmental Clearances

CAM Comment: The Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Vanashakti v. Union of India categorically bars ex-post facto environmental clearances, signalling a decisive shift toward stricter, rule-based environmental governance in India. By striking down the 2017 Notification and 2021 Office Memorandum that enabled retrospective approvals, the Court has restored the primacy of ex-ante environmental scrutiny and constitutional accountability. This judgment has immediate and far-reaching compliance implications for businesses, regulators, and investors, making proactive environmental due diligence an operational and legal imperative.

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The Ghost in the Machine?: The Recent “Business Requirement Document” on Consent

Corporate India, eagerly awaiting the final version of the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025[1] (“Draft Rules”), under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023[2] (“DPDPA”), was recently jolted by a Business Requirements Document for Consent Management under the DPDPA (“BRD”)[3] discreetly issued by the National e-Governance Division of the Ministry of Electronics and Technology (“MeitY”).

Continue Reading The Ghost in the Machine?: The Recent “Business Requirement Document” on Consent
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Pouring Over the Law: Navigating Alcohol Advertising & Packaging Regulations in India – Part 1

CAM Comment: Part 1 of this blog post series aims to shed light on the multi-layered regulatory framework surrounding the advertisement and promotion of alcoholic beverages in India.

Introduction

India presents a uniquely complex regulatory environment for the alcoholic beverages industry. Unlike many sectors governed primarily by central legislation, alcohol falls under the purview of states, creating a fragmented landscape of laws governing production, sale, advertising, and consumption. This complexity stems from the Indian Constitution, which places production,  possession, transport, purchase and sale of intoxicating liquors on the State List, granting states legislative power. This contrasts with the Directive Principle in Article 47, which encourages states to prohibit intoxicating drinks, highlighting an intrinsic conflict between public health objectives and the significant state revenue generated from alcohol excise duties.

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Introduction:

Technology has fundamentally transformed the financial services industry, with many contemporary financial institutions (“FI”) adopting a digital-first or exclusively online business model. With third-party technology service providers handling critical functions for FIs, as outsourced partners, regulators such as the Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”), Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”) and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (“IRDAI”) have issued their respective guidelines on outsourcing/ adoption of cloud services.[i] Additionally, FIs are also required to comply with general data protection laws.[ii]

Continue Reading FIG Paper (No. 46 – Series 3): Contracting Considerations for Financial Institutions
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Enforcement actions by IFSCA: Upholding of regulatory standards in IFSC, GIFT City

The International Financial Services Centres Authority (“IFSCA”) is the unified regulator of India’s maiden International Financial Services Centre (“IFSC”) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (“GIFT City”). Uniquely positioned both as a developer the regulator for the IFSC jurisdiction, the IFSCA is tasked with fostering a robust financial ecosystem, regulating financial products, financial services, and financial institutions while promoting ease of doing business. A critical aspect of its objective is enforcing compliance requirements and ensuring that IFSC, GIFT City, maintains its status as a jurisdiction of “substance”, with its regulatory standards on par with other global centres.

Continue Reading Enforcement actions by IFSCA: Upholding of regulatory standards in IFSC, GIFT City
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Compounding Under FEMA: What Has Changed Post 2025 Amendments

Introduction

The compounding mechanism under Section 15[1] of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (“FEMA”), allows individuals and companies to voluntarily admit breach of FEMA provisions and pay a penalty to regularise their contraventions without undergoing lengthy enforcement actions. In continuation of our earlier analysis of the Foreign Exchange (Compounding Proceedings) Rules, 2024[2] (“Compounding Rules”), read with Master Directions on Compounding of Contravention under the FEMA[3] (“Compounding Directions”), notified last year, we now examine the latest amendments to the compounding mechanism under the Compounding Directions. The Reserve Bank of India (“RBI”), through A.P. (DIR Series) Circulars notified on April 22, 2025, and April 24, 2025[4] (“April Amendments”), respectively has further amended the Compounding Directions. These amendments were preceded by a press release dated April 11, 2025[5], where the RBI mandated all banks, financial companies, and other regulated entities to submit their regulatory authorisations/ licenses/ approvals exclusively through the PRAVAAH online portal on and from May 1, 2025, onwards.

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The digital age has revolutionized news consumption and public discourse, with online platforms becoming hubs for critiquing current events and sharing diverse perspectives, often by using short excerpts (“clips”) from existing news broadcasts and other copyrighted material. This practice, while fostering a dynamic information ecosystem, lies at the intersection of copyright protection and freedom of expression. A recent dispute between a major news agency and online commentators has brought India’s “fair dealing” doctrine to the forefront, questioning its application in the digital realm. This article examines fair dealing under Indian copyright law, focusing on short clips in news reporting and online commentary, supported by judicial precedents, and offers suggestions for navigating copyright issues.

Continue Reading Fair Dealing in the Digital Age: Navigating Copyright for News and Online Content in India