The article in this issue of Corporate Amicus analyses the Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (‘SPACs’) which raise capital from an initial public offering (‘IPO’) to acquire an unspecified operating business.

The article in this issue of Corporate Amicus discusses the proposed amendments relating to the fall-back liability in the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. The clause makes a paradigm shift in the liability of the online retailers who until now majorly functioned in the nature of middlemen but with these Rules coming into force, will become directly and vicariously responsible for the damage caused by the vendor to the customer.

The article in this issue of Corporate Amicus analyses the Master Direction on Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) issued by the Reserve Bank of India recently. The article notes that the latest directions have classified PPIs into two new categories, i.e. small PPIs and full-KYC PPIs, with an aim to simplify the regulatory procedure, as compared to the three categories provided in 2017 (Closed Systems PPI, Semi-Closed Systems PPI, and Open Systems PPI).

The first article in this 10th Anniversary issue of Corporate Amicus discusses a recent Supreme Court decision in the case of Silpi Industries v. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation. The Apex Court has categorically stated that, in order to seek the benefit under the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, the seller should have been registered under the said Act on the date of entering into the concerned contract.

The article in this issue of Corporate Amicus analyses few recently proposed amendments in the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. The changes, once notified, will not only impact the e-commerce operators (both marketplace as well as inventory-based model entities) but also entities which are engaged by such operators for fulfilment of orders placed by buyers on an electronic portal or mobile based application.

Highlighting the participation of corporate India in supplementing the efforts of the government, the first article in this issue of Corporate Amicus discusses at length an important recent amendment in the Corporate Social Responsibility (‘CSR’) provisions. According to the changes, Section 135(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 now enables corporates to transfer unspent amounts concerning an ‘on-going project’ to a separate account designated as an ‘unspent CSR account’.

The first article in this issue of Corporate Amicus discusses various changes in the framework of the contract labour, which will come into effect when the Code of Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2020 (‘Code’) will come into force.

The article in this issue of Corporate Amicus raises many issues which may arise if the definition of ‘wages’ as envisaged in the Wage Code, 2019 is implemented. It traces the history of the changes as recommended in the report of the National Commission on Labour submitted in 2002, report of the Working Group on ‘Labour Laws & Other Regulations’, Code on Wages Bill, 2017 and the report of the Standing Committee on Labour (2018-19).

While social media has been playing a vital role in connecting people and building relations without any boundaries, its misuse by miscreants to spread fake news and for other illegal means, has also increased.

Today, startups are identified as vital engines for economic growth and job genesis. With the support of the government and due to the colossal commercial potential for startups, India has moved up to the third position on the global list in respect of number of startups.