regulatory oversight

Western grid to get 160 MW more soon given the rising demand in summer

The Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) has revised its quarterly progress report formats for builders, allowing hard-copy submissions for offline-registered projects. These changes, effective from June 2026, aim to enhance transparency and compliance by making disclosures outcome-oriented and capturing detailed project advancement beyond basic construction.

The UAE has become the first country to grant a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license to a cryptocurrency platform, allowing regulated digital asset payments. This landmark approval enables UAE residents to pay government fees using cryptocurrencies, integrating virtual asset payments into the nation's regulated financial system and bolstering its digital economy.

Swiss pharma major Novartis is sharpening its strategy in India as a pure-play innovator across core therapy segments, including cardiovascular, oncology, and immunology. The company is moving further up the value chain in India, with early scientific discovery and Phase I studies beginning to take shape.

Prasoon Joshi, a renowned lyricist and communications expert, has been appointed as the new chairman of Prasar Bharati, filling a crucial leadership gap. His extensive experience in advertising, cinema, and public communication is expected to bring fresh energy and a creative voice to the public broadcaster as it embraces digital transformation and evolving audience tastes.

Indian Super League clubs, excluding East Bengal, have proposed a club-led model for future league operations and commercialisation. They aim to manage responsibilities, citing local market knowledge and cost-saving potential. This proposal comes ahead of a crucial meeting with the AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey on May 22.

Microsoft Israel's chief has resigned following an internal probe into the misuse of Azure cloud services by the Israeli Ministry of Defense. The investigation revealed ethical breaches and a lack of transparency, impacting Microsoft's global standing. This comes after earlier revelations about Unit 8200's surveillance activities, complicating future contract renewals.

A research firm urged the RBI to reject Tata Sons' bid to surrender its financial license, calling it a tactic to avoid mandatory listing. The firm argued the application is invalid due to past RBI directives and an expired listing deadline. Without a listing, Tata Sons would escape SEBI's oversight, leaving crucial group transactions and capital allocation opaque to investors.

With IndiGo’s operational collapse in December, Air India’s fatal crash in Ahmedabad and SpiceJet’s engineering and salary-payment issues, US aviation regulator FAA has once again become concerned about oversight standards in Indian aviation.

Computer scientist Adam Back, whose work influenced Bitcoin's design, repeatedly denies being Satoshi Nakamoto. He believes the founder's anonymity has been crucial for Bitcoin's growth, preventing single-point capture and fostering its perception as a digital commodity. Back views Bitcoin's current institutional adoption, including ETFs, as a positive, decentralized evolution.

PM Modi has called on citizens to adopt measures aimed at conserving foreign exchange, as the surge in oil prices triggered by the Iran conflict has intensified pressure on the rupee and strained India’s foreign exchange reserves.