Legal Roundup, October 2026: DPDP, FEMA, SARFAESI, RERA and Corporate Law

Last reviewed: 15 October 2026. General information only; verify each item against the primary source.

Data protection (DPDP)

• The DPDP Rules, 2025 were notified on 13 November 2025 with a phased rollout. The Consent Manager framework begins on 13 November 2026, and the main data-fiduciary obligations follow on 13 May 2027.
• MeitY has consulted on shortening the 18-month compliance window to 12 months. This is a proposal only; no final decision was reported when we checked.

DPDP timeline | Proposal to shorten the timeline

FEMA and cross-border

• The FEMA (Non-Debt Instruments) Third Amendment Rules, 2026 extended Schedule III portfolio investment from NRIs and OCIs to all individuals resident outside India, with tighter scrutiny for investors from land-border countries.
• RBI released draft FEMA (Foreign Investment) Rules, 2026 on 21 July 2026 to replace the NDI Rules, 2019. This is at draft stage only.

Third Amendment Rules | Draft Foreign Investment Rules

Debt recovery (SARFAESI)

• 2 Sep 2026: In Kotak Mahindra Bank v. Trupti Sanjay Mehta (2026 INSC 943), the Supreme Court held that a bank can invoke SARFAESI for debt assigned to it by an NBFC that was outside the Act when the loan was made.

LiveLaw report

Real estate (RERA) and consumer law

• The Supreme Court (Kabra and Associates v. Rekha Rajkumar Hemdev) held that a homebuyer who elects the RERA remedy cannot later take the same dispute to a consumer commission.
• The Supreme Court has asked the Union to explain anomalies in the pecuniary jurisdiction of consumer commissions under the 2019 Act. The matter is pending.

RERA vs consumer forum | Consumer jurisdiction

Corporate and MSME

• The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced on 23 March 2026. Its passage status should be checked.
• An MSMED (Amendment) Bill, 2026 has been reported to tighten MSME dispute timelines.

PRS Bill Track | MSME reform report

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