Market Medley

  As expected, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has retained its dovish stance on liquidity. By stating it “will continue to be proactive in liquidity management,” the central bank signaled a soft policy approach rather than a hard one. Currently, liquidity is so abundant that overnight rates are trading well below the repo rate. Interestingly, the RBI also expressed concern that commercial paper (CP) and certificate of deposit (CD) rates remain elevated, highlighting pockets of tightness even amid surplus liquidity.

  The Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) – Mr. Tuhin Kanta Pandey, at the IVCA Conclave 2026 held last week, outlined SEBI’s evolving agenda for India’s Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) ecosystem. The address highlighted both the rapid growth of the AIF industry and SEBI’s approach to strengthening governance while facilitating ease of doing business.

  The Hon’ble Supreme Court in its ruling held that a long-standing tenant who enters into an agreement to sell with his landlord to purchase the very property he has been occupying cannot be made to pay stamp duty on that agreement as though it were a conveyance deed. The Court set aside the orders of both the Trial Court and the Hon’ble HC of AP, which had directed the tenant-buyer to pay stamp duty and penalty before the agreement could be admitted in evidence in a specific performance suit.

  The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi has approved amendments to India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy governing investments from countries sharing land borders with India (‘LBCs’). The changes modify the framework introduced through Press Note 3 (2020)*, which required government approval for foreign investments in India from LBCs.

  As you are aware, on 20 February 2026 the reciprocal tariffs announced by the US government on 02 April 2025, was struck down by the US Supreme Court, ruling that the IEEPA does not confer any authority to the Executive to impose tariffs.

  The recently announced trade understanding between India and the United States marks a significant macro-positive development for India, resolving a prolonged period of uncertainty that had clouded the investment landscape. While not a formal, comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), this arrangement addresses immediate tariff barriers and signals a recalibration of a critical economic relationship. Its implications span foreign investment, currency stability, corporate margins, and market sentiment, though it comes with inherent caveats characteristic of U.S. trade diplomacy.