Expansions, layoffs, funding, leadership moves, and policy shifts — with our take on what it means for hiring in India, today and over the next five years.
A brief removal of a video featuring Prime Minister Modi from Facebook triggered an unusually unified political backlash in India, escalating into a serious policy debate about whether platforms like Meta should retain their safe harbour protections under the country's IT Rules. The episode has reignited government scrutiny of how global social media companies moderate content in India, putting the legal framework that shields platforms from liability for user-generated content under fresh pressure. This regulatory uncertainty could have significant operational and hiring implications for tech firms with large India presences.
India's Supreme Court has given the food regulator FSSAI a two-week deadline to finalise mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods that are high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat. The court raised concerns that corporate lobbying may be delaying a policy that could significantly affect consumer choices. The ruling puts pressure on the packaged food industry to adapt its products and marketing to new regulatory realities.
Air India has launched mandatory psychoactive substance testing for all its pilots following an incident aboard a Phuket-Delhi flight. The initiative goes beyond what India's aviation regulator currently requires, signalling a proactive safety stance by the carrier. The move reflects growing scrutiny of crew fitness standards across Indian commercial aviation.
The Indian government has granted deadline extensions to Ola Electric and Reliance New Energy under the battery Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Production Linked Incentive scheme, pushing their project completion timelines to 2031. The third PLI beneficiary, Rajesh Exports, was denied a similar extension due to an ongoing SEBI investigation into the company's governance. This divergence in treatment signals that regulatory compliance is now a prerequisite for accessing critical industrial incentives.
Following a safety incident on an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, the central government directed Air India to own accountability for passenger safety. The DGCA has been instructed to expand mandatory drug testing for aviation personnel and impose stricter penalties for genuine substance violations, while offering more leniency in cases where a positive test is linked to prescribed medication.
Air India has introduced mandatory psychoactive substance testing for its entire pilot workforce, going beyond the existing random-testing framework set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The move follows a safety incident involving one of its flights at Phuket. This internal policy shift represents a deliberate tightening of the airline's safety and compliance culture.
Parliament has passed a new amendment to mining legislation that hands the central government authority to regulate how much states can charge in taxes on mineral rights. The law introduces a unified fiscal framework for mining levies nationwide, following a Supreme Court ruling that had opened the door for states to impose additional taxes on mining operations. The stated aim is to prevent what legislators described as excessive tax burdens on the sector.
The Indian Federation of Green Energy has urged the government to extend compressed biogas blending obligations beyond city gas distributors to large industrial consumers as well. The union cabinet has already approved a scheme to significantly scale up domestic CBG production, and the federation is now pushing for sector-wide purchase mandates backed by tradable certificates. The broader goal is to reduce India's reliance on imported natural gas by deepening the domestic biogas ecosystem.
Kerala has announced its intention to formally oppose the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill 2026, passed by Parliament, which strips states of their power to levy certain taxes and invalidates uncollected state dues. Chief Minister VD Satheesan has flagged the amendment as an encroachment on constitutional state powers and signalled plans to explore legal remedies. The dispute centres on revenue authority over mineral resources, a sector that directly underpins employment in mining-heavy states.
A parliamentary committee has recommended that banks face penalties for hosting multiple mule accounts and failing on KYC compliance. The panel also flagged delays in merchant discount rate decisions as a drag on payment infrastructure investment. Separately, the government is exploring a self-sustaining revenue model for UPI, including potential charges on digital payment modes, to close a significant funding gap.
Nearly 60% of around 600 real estate projects under regulatory review in Kolkata are expected to receive approvals soon, with most of the remainder likely cleared before August 15. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation had mandated scrutiny of all buildings exceeding four floors. The resolution of this bottleneck is expected to restart stalled construction activity across the city.
The Lok Sabha has passed an amendment to taxation laws that opens the door for levying a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions. This marks a significant policy reversal from the zero-MDR regime that has been in place since 2020. The change could reshape the economics of India's digital payments ecosystem and the companies operating within it.