New facility

August 2026

• 26Aug

  FEMA & RBIEvery Fund Management Entity in the IFSC must maintain a website or webpage from 1 December 2026: IFSCA lists the disclosures

  FME website by 1 December 2026New facility

  IFSCA has directed every Fund Management Entity registered under the Fund Management Regulations, 2025 to maintain a publicly accessible website or webpage with specified disclosures. Retail FMEs need an independent website. The URL must be intimated to IFSCA on or before 1 December 2026, the date the circular comes into force.

• 24Aug

  LabourShram Suvidha Portal: Labour Ministry may verify users through Aadhaar authentication, but only voluntarily — S.O. 4831(E) replaces the May 2026 notification

  Aadhaar check is voluntaryNew facility

  By notification S.O. 4831(E) dated 24 August 2026, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified Aadhaar authentication for verifying user details for modules on the Shram Suvidha Portal. It is voluntary, uses only Yes/No and/or e-KYC authentication, needs the Aadhaar holder’s consent, and no service can be denied for refusing it. The notification supersedes S.O. 2523(E) of 15 May 2026.

• 21Aug

  Startup & MSME₹62,500 crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme notified for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31: incentives of 2.25%–5% for manufacturers, 5% plus 3% for Indian brands

  MPMS: ₹62,500 crore, 5 yearsNew facility

  The Ministry of Electronics and IT has notified the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme with an outlay of ₹62,500 crore for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. Target Segment 1 gives manufacturers an incentive of 2.25% to 5%; Target Segment 2 gives Indian brands 5% plus 3% for Indian design and R&D. Up to 1.5% more is available for domestic sourcing of key components.

• 21Aug

  Foreign TradeExport Obligation extension approved by PRC or EPCG Committee will now be issued by the system — no second application to the RA

  No second applicationNew facility

  Trade Notice 21/2026-27 introduces an automated facility for Advance Authorisation and EPCG cases: once the Committee approves, the exporter pays the fee on the DGFT portal and the extension letter is generated automatically.

• 20Aug

  SEBIKYC Registration Agencies may share information with IFSCA-regulated entities: SEBI specifies IFSCA under regulation 16A of the KRA Regulations

  KRA access for IFSCA entitiesNew facility

  SEBI has specified the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) under regulation 16A(1) of the KRA Regulations, 2011. Entities regulated by IFSCA may now access the systems of SEBI-registered KYC Registration Agencies to do KYC of their clients. They must follow the KRA Regulations, SEBI’s KYC Master Circular and, for FPI clients, the data security guidelines in the FPI Master Circular.

• 14Aug

  Income TaxForeign Assets of Small Taxpayers Disclosure Scheme: rules and forms notified; last date is 31 December 2026

  31 December 2026New facility

  The Scheme’s rules, notified on 14 August 2026 and in force from 16 August, fix 31 March 2026 as the valuation date, set out how each foreign asset is valued, and prescribe Forms 1 to 4 for the declaration, the order, the payment and the final certificate.

• 12Aug

  Company LawNCLT launches e-Inspection and e-Certified Copy services

  e-Certified copyNew facility

  The two online services give advocates and litigants faster access to records and certified copies. NCLT also reported 78 resolution plans approved in April–June 2026.

• 10Aug

  Legal & DisputesTRAI: 1601-series numbers for service and transactional calls by utilities, courier and logistics companies; onboarding within 90 days

  1601 series: utilities, couriersNew facility

  TRAI issued a Direction on 10 August 2026 on the use of 1601-series numbers for service and transactional calls by entities outside the BFSI sector and Government, which use the 1600 series. Phase I covers utilities and logistics and courier services. Telecom service providers are to complete onboarding within 90 days from the date of issue.

• 7Aug

  Foreign TradeDPIIT-recognised start-ups can now list on DGFT’s “Source from India” with only an active IEC

  Start-up BadgeNew facility

  Trade Notice 16 dated 6 August 2026 opens the Trade Connect buyer-discovery service to start-ups, with a special onboarding route for those yet to meet the export performance criteria.

• 7Aug

  Trademark & IPPatent Office frames guidelines on AI in patent examination: AI may assist, the Examiner or Controller stays fully responsible

  AI assists, officer decidesNew facility

  The Office of the CGPDTM has published Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Patent Examination Procedures. They list 12 typical uses with risks and safeguards, six prohibited uses — including feeding unpublished applications into public AI tools — and provide for an AI Governance Committee.

• 7Aug

  SEBISEBI to carry out about one-third as many inspections of brokers, DPs, IAs and RAs in FY 2026-27; repetitive annual inspections of compliant entities discontinued

  Inspections cut to one-thirdNew facility

  SEBI has adopted an enhanced approach to inspecting market intermediaries from FY 2026-27. Its targeted number of inspections of stock brokers, DPs, IAs and RAs is rationalised to approximately one-third of the previous year. Repetitive annual comprehensive inspections of compliant entities, especially QSBs, are being discontinued, and entities are shortlisted quarterly on risk parameters.

• 6Aug

  FEMA & RBIRBI names 17 NBFCs in the Upper Layer for 2026-27; PNB Housing Finance and Sammaan Capital continue under enhanced regulation

  17 NBFCs in Upper LayerNew facility

  RBI has released the 2026-27 list of NBFCs in the Upper Layer (NBFC-UL) under Scale Based Regulation, based on financials as on 31 March 2026 and on revised identification criteria. Seventeen NBFCs are named. Two more — PNB Housing Finance and Sammaan Capital — do not meet the criteria this time but stay in the Upper Layer because the enhanced requirements run for at least five years.

• 6Aug

  Startup & MSMEDPIIT-recognised start-ups can list on “Source from India” on Trade Connect with an active IEC, even below the export threshold: DGFT Trade Notice 16/2026-27

  Start-up badge on Trade ConnectNew facility

  DGFT has opened the “Source from India” buyer-discovery feature of the Trade Connect ePlatform to DPIIT-recognised start-ups. Those meeting the existing criteria get a unique start-up badge. As a special exception, start-ups that do not meet the criteria may still register if they hold an active IEC and are not in the Denied Entity List.

• 5Aug

  Foreign TradeInventory-based cross-border e-commerce framework made operational; ANF-9A notified for registration of Exporters-on-Record: DGFT Public Notice 25/2026-27

  ANF-9A for Exporter-on-RecordNew facility

  DGFT has inserted paras 9.03 to 9.07 in Chapter 9 of the Handbook of Procedures to operationalise the Inventory-based Cross-border E-Commerce Facilitation Framework, and notified ANF-9A for registration as Exporter-on-Record. The procedures cover inventory records, seller visibility, returns, a yearly compliance certificate and dispute resolution, with immediate effect.

• 5Aug

  Foreign TradeE-commerce exports get an inventory model: DGFT notifies the Exporter-on-Record framework; sellers to be paid within 7 days

  Paid within 7 daysNew facility

  Notification 27/2026-27 adds an Inventory-based Cross-border E-Commerce Facilitation Framework to the Foreign Trade Policy 2023. A registered Exporter-on-Record buys Indian-origin goods from sellers against confirmed export orders, holds them only for export, and passes on the export benefits.

• 3Aug

  Foreign TradeSeven new SIONs A-3708 to A-3714 notified for pharma products including Meropenem and Liraglutide: DGFT Public Notice No. 23/2026-27

  SION A-3708 to A-3714New facility

  DGFT has notified seven new Standard Input Output Norms, A-3708 to A-3714, under “Chemical and Allied Product” (Product Code ‘A’). They cover Theophylline, a Liraglutide pen injection, Lumefantrine, three strengths of Meropenem injection and ophthalmic solutions. Regional Authorities can now grant Advance Authorisations for these directly.