With the gradual liberalization of exchange control regulations in India during the 1990s, Indian corporates have had the ability to raise funds from global markets. A popular instrument, especially in the past few years, has been the foreign currency convertible bond (FCCB).
Read MoreWhile most of the world was preparing for the holiday season, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), without much notice and publicity, released a draft Master Press Note on foreign direct investment in India late on 24 December 2009. The Master Press Note was open to comments from the public until 31 January. While not intended as an in-depth analysis, our column this month takes a look at this policy initiative and what it seeks to achieve.
Read MoreThe Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in a press release issued in early November, indicated that it would, in the coming months, amend the policy on technology-related payments by Indian firms to foreign persons. Close on the heels of the press release, the DIPP eased the policy on remittance of royalties and similar payments for licensing of trademarks, technology transfers, etc, through Press Note 8 of 2009, dated 16 December.
Read MoreFurther to the announcement made at its board meeting of 22 September, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) through a notification on 6 November amended various aspects of the SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 1997, commonly known as the takeover code or the code. One of the major amendments was to bring American depository receipts/ global depository receipts with voting rights on par with equity shareholdings for the purposes of the code.
Read MoreFollowing the introduction of the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (the IRDA) has issued a set of corporate governance guidelines for insurance companies. As insurers in India are yet to be listed, corporate governance requirements prescribed under the listing agreements and regulations issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) do not currently apply to them.
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