India: Government Contracts, Procurement & PPP

The regulatory framework governing environmental governance in India has undergone significant evolution since the enactment of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. At the heart of this framework lies...

India’s renewable energy market has now entered a more structured regulatory phase with the issuance of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (“CERC”) Guidelines for Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (“VPPAs”) dated 24 December 2025 and the subsequent Statement of Reasons issued on 27 April 2026.

The applicability of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 ("MSMED Act") to a works contract has emerged as a contentious legal issue with significant ramifications for the construction and contracting industry in India. As infrastructure development accelerates across the country and contractual disputes proliferate between enterprises, a fundamental question has come to the fore: Whether Works Contract fall within the ambit of the MSMED Act's protective framework?

This newsletter examines landmark Supreme Court rulings on Change in Law provisions in power procurement contracts and the treatment of Generation Based Incentives in renewable energy tariff determination.

The Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (Second Amendment) Act, 2026 (L. A. BILL No. XXVIII OF 2026) represents a significant reform in the regulation of government land transactions in Maharashtra. Introduced in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on 24th March 2026, it focuses primarily on amending Section 37A of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, a provision that governs the sale, transfer, redevelopment, use of additional Floor Space Index (“FSI”), transfer of Transferable Development Rights (“TDR”), and change in use of government land.

The Government of Maharashtra has taken a significant step towards enhancing ease of doing business by rationalising the framework governing agricultural land conversion. As per the recent amendment to the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 (MLRC), notified on 31 December 2025, and the Government Resolution dated 10 February 2026, the requirement of obtaining a separate sanad or non-agricultural permission from the Collector has been abolished for permissible non-agricultural uses under the Development Plan or Regional Plan under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 (MRTP).

India's competition law landscape in March 2026 saw pivotal Supreme Court and High Court rulings on penalty enforcement procedures, while the Competition Commission of India closed multiple high-profile abuse of dominance cases against BookMyShow, Google India, and Rapido. The CCI also approved numerous mergers spanning renewable energy, financial services, healthcare, and technology sectors, demonstrating active enforcement and regulatory oversight across diverse industries.

The ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly the conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, have once again brought the concept of force majeure into sharp focus in commercial and investment contracts.

This month, we cover the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure 2026, a framework that shifts India's procurement philosophy from "Made in India" to "Owned by India,"