All news

September 2026

• 30Sep

  LicencesNew CAFE norms notified for passenger vehicles from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032: target tightens to 3.3273 litres/100 km

  CAFE norms from 1 April 2027Rule change

  The Ministry of Power says it has notified new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) norms for new passenger vehicles manufactured or imported for sale in India, applicable from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032. The fuel-consumption benchmark tightens from 3.996 litres/100 km in 2027–28 to 3.3273 litres/100 km in 2031–32.

• 30Sep

  Startup & MSMEPRIP scheme second call open: new discovery track of up to ₹50 crore for startups and MSMEs, alongside early-stage and later-stage tracks

  PRIP: up to ₹50 crore new trackNew facility

  The Department of Pharmaceuticals has opened the PRIP portal for the second call of the ₹5,000 crore Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma & MedTech scheme and added a New Discovery track: up to ₹50 crore for startups and MSMEs doing NCE/NBE projects at TRL 1–3, with at least 25% co-funding from bona fide institutional investors.

• 30Sep

  Foreign TradeRoSCTL scheme for apparel, garments and made-ups extended for three months, 1 October to 31 December 2026, at existing rates

  RoSCTL till 31 December 2026Extended

  The Ministry of Textiles has extended the RoSCTL Scheme for exports of apparel/garments and made-ups for a further three months, from 1 October to 31 December 2026, at the existing rates and under the prevailing guidelines. The Ministry says the Scheme benefited more than 15,400 exporters during 2025–26, most of them MSMEs.

• 30Sep

  CustomsSAED on diesel exports cut to ₹16 per litre and on ATF exports to ₹10.5 per litre from 1 October 2026: Notifications 52 and 53/2026-Central Excise

  Diesel ₹16, ATF ₹10.5 per litreRelief

  Two Central Excise notifications dated 30 September 2026 revise the Special Additional Excise Duty on exports of diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel with effect from 1 October 2026: diesel from ₹20 to ₹16 per litre and ATF from ₹15 to ₹10.5 per litre. The notifications issued since 3 August show the rate on diesel falling from ₹24 and on ATF from ₹22.

• 30Sep

  Foreign TradeRaw sugar: 10 lakh MT duty-free TRQ up to 31 October 2026; surrender of unutilised quota now allowed till 15 October 2026 — DGFT Notification No. 31/2026-27 and Public Notices

  Surrender TRQ by 15 Oct 2026Extended

  DGFT allowed import of 10 lakh MT of raw sugar duty-free under a Tariff Rate Quota up to 31 October 2026, with a one-time option to convert Advance Authorisations under SION E-52 to the TRQ. A series of public notices set the modalities; the latest, of 30 September 2026, lets TRQ holders surrender unutilised quantity up to 15 October 2026 on payment of 0.5% of CIF value.

• 30Sep

  CustomsTariff values from 1 October 2026: crude palm oil US$ 1,229, gold US$ 1,339 per 10 grams, silver US$ 1,965 per kg — Notification 80/2026-Customs (N.T.)

  Tariff values from 1 OctoberRule change

  CBIC has substituted the tariff value tables for edible oils, brass scrap, gold, silver and areca nuts under Notification No. 36/2001-Customs (N.T.). The new values apply from 1 October 2026. The areca nut value is unchanged at US$ 11,574 per metric ton.

• 30Sep

  Foreign TradeMinimum Import Price on ATS-8 and Sulfadiazine API extended up to 30 November 2026: DGFT Notifications No. 39/2026-27 and 40/2026-27

  MIP till 30 Nov 2026Extended

  Two DGFT notifications of 30 September 2026 extend Minimum Import Price conditions on Chapter 29 items up to 30 November 2026: USD 111 per kg (CIF) on ATS-8, and ₹1,774 per kg (CIF) on Sulfadiazine API. All other terms of the original notifications stay the same.

• 30Sep

  Foreign TradeMinimum Import Price of ₹67,220 per MT on Virgin Multi-layer Paper Board extended up to 31 March 2027: DGFT Notification No. 38/2026-27

  MIP ₹67,220/MT till 31 Mar 2027Extended

  DGFT has extended the Minimum Import Price condition on Virgin Multi-layer Paper Board (five ITC (HS) codes under Chapter 48) for six months, up to 31 March 2027. The MIP stays at ₹67,220 per MT on CIF value, with all other terms as in Notification No. 26/2025-26 dated 22 August 2025.

• 30Sep

  Foreign TradeRELIEF Component II timelines extended up to 31 March 2027 for exporters hit by West Asia disruption: DGFT Notification No. 37/2026-27

  RELIEF till 31 March 2027Extended

  DGFT has extended the eligibility and validity criteria under Component II of the RELIEF intervention (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) up to 31 March 2027, for shipments meant for delivery or transshipment under the intervention. Component II is about ECGC cover for shipments to the specified regions.

• 30Sep

  Foreign TradeRoDTEP scheme continued up to 31 December 2026 at existing rates and value caps: DGFT Notification No. 41/2026-27

  RoDTEP till 31 Dec 2026Extended

  DGFT has notified that the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme will continue up to 31 December 2026 for exports by DTA units, Advance Authorisation holders, SEZ units and EOUs. The rates and value caps in Appendix 4R and Appendix 4RE, as applicable on 30 September 2026, stay unchanged.

• 29Sep

  LicencesCAQM approves revised GRAP schedule for NCR: DG set and bus curbs move to Stage I, essential-goods exemption for BS-IV goods vehicles removed

  Revised GRAP: 48 actionsRule change

  The Commission for Air Quality Management approved modifications to the GRAP Schedule for the NCR at its 30th Full Commission meeting on 28 September 2026. Actions on DG sets and BS-IV and below buses move from Stage II to Stage I, Sonipat is added to the districts with LMV restrictions, and web-portal dust monitoring is extended to C&D projects beyond municipal limits.

• 28Sep

  Income TaxAudit-case ITR for AY 2026-27 can now be filed till 21 November 2026; audit report date moves to 21 October

  21 November 2026Extended

  CBDT has extended the return due date for persons subject to audit from 31 October 2026 to 21 November 2026. The specified date for the audit report moves from 30 September to 21 October 2026.

• 28Sep

  SEBISEBI issues a fresh Master Circular for Debenture Trustees on 28 September 2026; the August 2025 Master Circular is rescinded

  DT Master Circular, 28 Sep 2026New facility

  SEBI has issued a new Master Circular for Debenture Trustees dated 28 September 2026, compiling the circulars in force on that date in 17 chapters. The Master Circular of 13 August 2025 stands rescinded, with actions taken under it saved. Annexure 1 lists five superseded circulars, including those on issuer reporting timelines, the Recovery Expenses Fund and activities outside SEBI’s purview.

• 28Sep

  CustomsThree more certificates on ICEGATE’s SWIFT 2.0 dashboard: Legal Metrology importer registration, MNRE concessional duty certificate and Coffee Board export permit

  SWIFT 2.0: three more LPCOsNew facility

  CBIC has brought three more certificates onto the SWIFT 2.0 Unified Dashboard on ICEGATE. The Legal Metrology certificate of registration of importer of weights and measures is now applied for there, all over India, and no longer on the LM portal. The MNRE Concessional Customs Duty Certificate (from 7 August 2026) and the Coffee Board Export Permit Certificate (from 27 July 2026) can be tracked and downloaded.

• 28Sep

  LabourEPFO answers employers’ questions on the ₹25,000 ceiling: one ECR for September 2026, contributions split at 17 September, no shift to 1 October

  September ECR due 15 OctoberClarified

  EPFO’s FAQs on the revised wage ceiling tell employers to file a single ECR for September 2026, computing contributions separately for 1–16 September (₹15,000 ceiling) and 17–30 September (₹25,000 ceiling). The employee share that could not be deducted may be recovered in the next payroll, but the full remittance is still due by 15 October. The EDLI maximum stays at ₹7 lakh.

• 28Sep

  CustomsSurat rough-diamond Special Notified Zone to shift to Surat Diamond Bourse, Khajod: CBIC Circular 44/2026-Customs

  SNZ at Surat Diamond BourseNew facility

  CBIC has allowed a Special Notified Zone for rough diamonds at Surat International Diatrade Centre, 2nd Floor, Tower-B, Surat Diamond Bourse, Khajod. Imports only by air cargo, re-packing of lots within 60 days and export of unsold lots within 75 days of import. The old SNZ at Gujarat Hira Bourse, Ichhapore is to be de-notified after the new one starts.

• 28Sep

  LabourESI coverage notified in the entire area of 25 districts of Madhya Pradesh from 1 October 2026

  25 districts of MPRule change

  A Gazette notification under section 1(4) of the Code on Social Security covers the whole of Niwari, which was not implemented at all, and of 24 districts that were only partly covered.

• 25Sep

  Startup & MSMECGTMSE guarantee cover goes live on TReDS: 75% cover on invoice discounting where both buyer and seller are micro or small enterprises

  CGTMSE cover on TReDS: 75%New facility

  The Ministry of MSME has rolled out credit guarantee cover on invoice discounting through TReDS. The CGTMSE portal is integrated with three platforms — M1xchange, RXIL and DTX (KredX). Under the Special Provision, both buyer and seller must be micro or small enterprises; the cover is 75% of the amount in default, with exposure up to ₹10 crore for a buyer and ₹2 crore for a seller.

• 25Sep

  FEMA & RBIIFSCA issues differential distribution framework for Venture Capital and Restricted Schemes: one senior class, junior units from USD 2 million, grants up to 49% for ESG schemes

  Junior units: min USD 2 millionNew facility

  IFSCA has issued the framework under which Venture Capital Schemes and Restricted Schemes in the IFSC can issue senior and junior or subordinate units with different distribution rights, to facilitate blended finance. Minimum investment in junior units is USD 2 million (USD 1 million for accredited investors). ESG schemes may accept grants up to 49% of corpus.

• 25Sep

  FEMA & RBIExporters get nine months to bring export proceeds home from 1 October 2026: RBI amends the new FEMA export-import regulations, notified with fifteen, before they take effect

  Export proceeds: 9 monthsRule change

  RBI has amended regulation 5(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026 before they took effect. The period to realise and repatriate export value is nine months instead of fifteen, and twelve months instead of eighteen where the export is invoiced or settled in rupees. The amendment is in force from 1 October 2026.