India: Oil, Gas & Electricity

The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (“KERC”) vide notification dated 14.08.2026 has invited stakeholder comments on the Draft Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity Supply) Regulations, 2026 (“Draft ESR”) . The Draft ESR are aimed at streamlining electricity connections and related consumer services across the State and consolidate several existing regulations into a single framework governing supply of electricity in the State. Stakeholders may submit their comments on the Draft ESR within 30 days from the date of notification in the Gazette.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 (Act No. 20 of 2026) (MMDR Amendment Act) received Presidential assent and was published in the Gazette of India on 17 August 2026, further amending the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).

For listed companies, preparing the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) involves collecting data from multiple departments, consolidating performance indicators and ensuring that disclosures are complete, consistent and finalized within the reporting timeline. Companies must ensure that each disclosure is supported by reliable data, documented calculation methodologies and adequate records, with a clear basis for how the reported figures have been derived and validated. These requirements become particularly relevant as companies prepare for BRSR Core assessment or assurance.

A decision of a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court in Dabur India Limited v. Emami Limited[1], pronounced on May 22, 2026, is a significant addition to Indian passing off jurisprudence concerning trade dress protection. The dispute arose from Dabur’s launch of Cool King Thanda Tael and Emami’s allegation that the packaging and overall get-up of Dabur’s product is deceptively similar to the long-established trade dress of Navratna Ayurvedic Oil that is sold by Emami.

In India’s legal lexicon, “nuclear power” is more than a technological marvel, it is a complex category of activity defined, licensed, and overseen by statute. Under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, “nuclear installations” encompass any reactor, plant or facility in which radioactive substances are produced, handled or stored. The same atom whose controlled fission heats our turbines can, if misused has the power to detonate cities, as Albert Einstein, Oppenheimer, Homi J Baba and several notable scientists have warned us.

The Apex Court in the case, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission vs TATA Power Delhi Distribution Ltd., held that electricity consumers do not have to bear power plant depreciation costs for the period during which they weren’t supplied electricity.

The long-term stability of India’s power sector depends not only on generation capacity and infrastructure growth, but also on the legal and regulatory certainty governing fuel supply arrangements. Power Purchase Agreements (“PPAs”), particularly those executed through competitive bidding under the Electricity Act, 2003, are structured on commercial assumptions relating to the long-term availability, pricing, and sourcing of coal.

The APTEL, through its order dated 27.05.2026 in the matter of DERC v. Forum of Regulators & Ors., dismissed the review petitions filed by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (“DERC”) seeking review of APTEL’s earlier order dated 20.04.2026 concerning conduct of strict and intensive audit of Delhi distribution licensees (“DISCOMs”); and (ii) commencement of liquidation of regulatory assets.

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (“CERC”), vide Notification dated 20.05.2026, has issued the Draft CERC (Connectivity and General Network Access to the inter-State Transmission System) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (“Draft GNA Regulations”) , amending the CERC (Connectivity and General Network Access to the inter-State Transmission System) Regulations, 2022 (“Principal GNA Regulations”).