First Stage rejection of Merger Scheme is too early rules NCLAT

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) can reject a merger scheme if the arrangement is a sham device to evade taxes or violates core statutory provisions or goes against...

NL – Corporate Criminal Liability – Clarity in Delegation of Authority is Important for Charging Officers of a Company

Corporate criminal liability rests upon a legal paradox- a company is a juristic person without a physical presence or an independent mind, yet it conducts business, makes ...

NL – Would shape marks and designs require protection? Delhi HC in Abhimanyu Prakash v Ferrero SPA & Ors

Designs and Shapes too matter a lot and they enjoy protection under Trademarks Act, 1999

The RBI's Scale-Based Regulation (SBR) for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) evolved from a simple deposit-based classification to a risk-based, four-layered framewor...

NL – Highlights of Proposals under Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026

The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (“the Bill”) has proposed another string of amendments to the young Companies Act, 2013 (the Act) with an intent to sha...

NL CHEQUE BOUNCING BLUES – A WORD OF CAUTION!

We are going to discuss a very fundamental issue relating to issuing post-dated cheques. Issuing post-dated cheques very simple and routine customary trade practice. Often,...

NL – NFRA PRESCRIPTION ON THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE (TCWG)

National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) constituted under Section 132(1) of the Companies Act 2013 aims to enhance transparency and accountability in corporate financ...

Grounds of Arrest – a constitutional safeguard incorporated under the BNSS, 2023

“Failure to inform an arrest...

Regulatory Compliance and Board Responsibility in Aviation Operations – LESSONS FROM INDIGO FIASCO

Introduction
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), by notification issued in January 2024, introduced revised “Flight Duty Time Limitations ...

NL on ELIGIBILITY OF COMPANIES FOR FAST TRACK MERGERS WIDENED

On September 4, 2025, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) issued a significant notification, G.S.R. 603(E), amending Rule 25 of the Companies (Compromises, Arrangeme...

NL on OFF MARKET TRANSFER OF SHARES OF PRIVATE COMPANIES HELD IN DEMAT REQUIRES COMPANY’S SPECIFIC APPROVAL

The National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) on June 3, 2025, issued Circular No. NSDL/POLICY/2025/0071, introducing a new compliance requirement for share transfers i...

NL on BRSR Core – Value Chain Partners too have to Gear up for Disclosures on 9 ESG Attributes

Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) requires listed entities to make disclosures on key ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) parameters.
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FAQs ON SUBSCRIPTION MONEY, ISSUE OF SHARE CERTIFICATE & DECLARATION ON COMMENCEMENT OF BUSINESS

A company, after its incorporation has to comply with the provisions of Section 10A of the Companies Act, 2013 (the Act) prior to starting its business or prior to exercisi...

NL on Well-known Trademark-Cross Class Application is Prospective – PARAGON V PARAGON Case

Trademarks are not only known for their role as identifiers of source or origin, but also become powerful symbols of goodwill, reputation, trust and quality. Well-known Tra...

NL on Well Known Trademarks

Recently, in Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited v Friends Inc and Another, 2025 SCC OnLine Del 634, decided on January 9, 2025, the Delhi High Court had declared that ...

NL on Increase in Financial Thresholds would result more enterprises falling under MSME category – Budget 2025-26

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of the Indian economy, contributing significantly to employment generation, industrial output, and exports. T...

NL – RISING ROAD ACCIDENTS – A CAUSE OF GRAVE CONCERN POINTING OUT LACK OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The Annual Report on ‘Road Accidents in India-2022”, published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), says that a total of 4,61,312 road accidents have bee...

NL – FAQs on Dematerialisation of securities with specific reference to Private Companies

One of the major amendments notified by MCA that has taken effect from the 01st October, 2023 is the requirement of demateralising ...

NL – CCPA Guidelines on Greenwashing

Greenwashing is the practice of making false or misleading claims about a product, service, or company's environmental impact.
Greenwashing can take man...

NL – Enhanced Corporate Governance compliances for NBFCs under RBI (NBFC-Scale Based Regulations) Directions, 2023

Section 45 IA of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (RBI Act) governs the functioning of NBFCs so much so that any company carrying on the activities of an NBFC has to obtain ...

NL – LISTING OF SMEs ON SME EXCHANGE

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) make up nearly 90% of the business globally and employs nearly 60% of the total work force. While the SME sector has shown development an...

NL – LISTING OF CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS ON SOCIAL STOCK EXCHANGE

With Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) and Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) concepts gaining much momentum in the last d...

NL – CORPORATE CLIMATE ACTION PROGRAMMES – BARE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT IN DISCLOSURES

The capital market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced updated format of Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR...

A GIANT LEAP FOR UNLISTED COMPANIES IN INDIA

Section 23 of the Companies Act, 2013 (the Act) inter alia provides power to the Central Government to notify such class of public companies to issue such class of securiti...

NL on Mere change in controlling shareholders will not trigger the need for securing fresh exemption under Appendix A of The Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 1952

The legislation for a provident fund was created in pursuit of the declared objective under Constitution of India that the State shall make effective provision for securing...

NL on PITFALLS OF ORDINARY DICTIONARY WORDS ADOPTED AS BRANDS

REGISTERED TRADEMARKS ENJOY STATUTORY PROTECTION AGAINST INFRINGEMENT
A Trademark is a name, logo or symbol associated with goods or services of a comp...

NL on Secretarial Auditing Standards issued by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) – A brief review on the need to interact with Management of the Auditee Company.

Audit planning means establishing and developing an overall audit process, including but not limited to, seeking previous audit findings and observations from the Manageme...

NL on Mandatory Dematerialisation of Private Company’s Securities, Disclosure regarding Share Warrants of Public Company and Appointment of Designated Person w.r.t. Beneficial Interest

Through its two recent Notifications dated 27^th October, 2023 the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has effected amendments to certain provisions in (a) Compan...

NL on BEWARE OF COST OF NON-COMPLIANCE

IF YOU THINK COMPLIANCE IS COSTLY TRY NON-COMPLIANCE
“If you think compliance is costly, try non-compliance,” s...

NewsLetter-Copyright Law Basics

Introduction:-
Intellectual Property (IP) Rights are intangible legal rights which are commonly utilized by the producers of the goods & services in...

NL – BANK IS LIABLE FOR THE SAFE CUSTODY OF TITLE DEEDS OF MORTGAGED PROPERTIES

An interesting case arose before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) in the complaint filed by one Mr. Manoj Madhusudhanan against ICICI Bank Limite...

Newsletter on Timeline for filing casual vacancies of Directors and KMPs for Listed Entities

With effect from 14^th July 2023, Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”) has introduced a time period for filling up casual vacancies arising in the off...

NL on Registration of Industrial Designs.

Introduction:-
Intellectual Property (IP) Rights are intangible legal rights which results from intellectual activity in industrial, scientific, litera...

SEBI LODR New Thresholds for disclosure of material information

New quantitative thresholds for determination of materiality of events / information under the Listing Regulations
With effect from 14^th Jul...

SEBI (LODR) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2023

Applicability Timeline Chart of the recent amendments to SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.
The Securities and E...

Corporate Social Responsibility Policy Committee – NL

Ever since spending a portion of net profits on CSR Activities of companies that meet specified thresholds stipulated...

Appointment, Re-Appointment, Resignationand Removal of Independent Director in Listed Entities

As the expression goes, Independent Director (ID) must have special attributes and must not be hit by any of the inel...

Defaulting Private Companies are not entitled to avail certain Exemptions and Modifications that apply to Private Companies – NL

Business Entity Formation requires consideration of several present and future aspects and prospects. Except certain s...

Compliances under Takeover Code – Word of Caution!

Takeover Code, known as the SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeover) Regulation, 2011, acts not only as a...

“Now there is more reason to run your business as a company under the Companies Act, 2013” – NL

Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) revises the definition of “Small Company” to boost ease of doing business

Small com...

NL – OVERSEAS DIRECT INVESTMENT BY INDIAN ENTITIES – REVISED REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

The Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Rules, 2022 and The Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Regulations, 2022, were issued on 22^nd

NL-ARE YOU A DIRECTOR? KNOW YOUR DUTIES AND LIABILITIES!

This book written by Dr. K.S. Ravichandran on Duties and Liabilities of Directors is a one stop solution for all the queries that would come to your mind when you think abo...

NL-Advisory issued by NSE and BSE under Regulation 46 and 62 of SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirements) Regulation, 2015

SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 (Listing Regulations) contain various conditions and compliance requirements that bind listed entit...

NL-FCRA – Let us look at the recent amendments to the Rules

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) regulates receipt of money or any other contribution from any foreign source other than remittances by way of payment for g...

INFRINGEMENT OF TRADEMARKS

We are writing on this subject in view of the increasing number of cases involving unscrupulous traders using well known trademarks unmindful of legal action by way of pass...

SMALL SHAREHOLDERS DIRECTORS UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT, 2013.

Election of directors by members in a company normally happens on the basis of maioris regula i.e., majority rule. The concept of constituency directorshi...

PRIMER ON APPLICABILITY OF COMPANIES ACT, 2013 ON FOREIGN COMPANY

Normally, the term Foreign Company is understood from a common man’s view to denote a company which is incorporated and or operated outside the country. However, in order t...

COVID INITIATIVES UNDER CSR

On 11^th March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak as a pandemic. Pursuant to which, Government o...

All About Section 8 Company

Companies registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 (the Act) are special to the extent that they are specifically formed with an object to promote commerce, ar...

PAYMENT OF REMUNERATION TO NON-EXECUTIVE AND INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OF A PUBLIC COMPANY IN ABSENCE OF PROFITS OR INADEQUATE PROFITS:

1. With the notification issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs dated 18^th March 2021, has brought into effect the amendments to Section 149(9...