July saw electric vehicles capture 12.5% of all retail sales in India, with registrations hitting 3.28 lakh, a 66% jump from last year. Every segment, from two‑wheelers to commercial trucks, posted double‑digit growth, signalling that EV adoption has moved from niche forecasts to showroom reality.
In the first week of the new Closing Auction Session, BSE’s average daily contracts fell 30.6% week‑on‑week, while premium per contract surged 74.8%, lifting premium turnover 21.3% and pushing BSE’s market‑share to 37.1%. The shift signals tighter price discovery and higher pricing power for deep OTM options.
The Supreme Court refused to halt the Delhi High Court's hearing of the government’s $2.31 billion claim that Reliance over‑recovered costs from the Panna‑Mukta and Tapti offshore fields. By keeping the case alive, the court leaves open a high‑stakes test of profit‑sharing contracts and arbitration enforcement that could reshape revenue streams for India’s oil sector.
The margin‑trading facility now tops Rs 1.3 lakh crore, a near‑five‑fold jump driven by 13 million retail investors and 23 million demat accounts. SEBI’s 100% upfront margin rules and higher contract sizes keep leverage tightly collateralised, preventing the runaway leverage seen in markets like South Korea.
The apex court denied the government's plea to stay a Bombay High Court order that cancelled a ₹3,300 crore one‑time spectrum levy and ordered the release of bank guarantees for Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. The relief instantly frees about ₹8 trillion of liability for the two telcos while the government’s appeal proceeds.
The Finance Ministry is overhauling its Model Bilateral Investment Treaty to make dispute‑resolution and protection clauses more investor‑friendly, with a Cabinet decision expected soon. The move targets higher foreign direct investment and safeguards Indian firms expanding abroad as outward direct investment accelerates.
During FY26 the Securities Appellate Tribunal dismissed 47 SEBI orders, more than twice last year’s tally, and modified 88, also a two‑fold rise. The tribunal’s focus on evidence, proportionality and clearer reasoning suggests harsher scrutiny of regulator penalties, raising compliance costs for firms.
Starting Jan 1 2027, RBI will allow lenders to remotely restrict smartphones, tablets or laptops only after the loan is 30 days overdue, with full lock possible after 60 days. Essential services, incoming calls, SMS, SOS and work‑related apps, must stay active, and borrowers earn Rs 250 per hour if access isn’t restored promptly.
The Reserve Bank of India released draft Directions on a Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) framework, letting banks choose a basic‑approach calculation and clearer hedge rules. It seeks feedback until Aug 28, 2026, aiming to tighten counter‑party risk capital while reducing complexity for non‑cleared derivatives.
BALCO, Vedanta’s aluminium arm, outbid rivals with a 175% auction premium for the 3,100‑hectare Karlapat block, the highest ever paid for bauxite in India. The deal highlights a fierce scramble for captive ore as major producers expand capacity and newcomers like Adani line up for future projects.
You’re caught up.
That was all 10 stories in the 9 August issue.