Open market share buybacks on stock exchanges will resume from August 1, 2026, with listed firms able to choose between tender offers or exchange-based buybacks.

Municipal debt rules were updated to facilitate refinancing, encourage pooled finance structures, broaden retail investor participation, and tighten post-issue compliance timelines.

SEBI approved a new code of conduct for its board and staff, plus updated service regulations to strengthen governance, transparency, and conflict-of-interest handling.

The GARUDA framework was approved to accelerate AIF launches, enabling new regular schemes to start within 10 working days and allowing accredited-investor-only schemes and angel funds to begin immediately after filing.

Other approved items include securitised debt instrument amendments, moving the Social Stock Exchange fund, SME capital-raising regulatory review focus for FY27, and a tightened internal SEBI code of conduct.

The Social Stock Exchange capacity-building fund is being moved from NABARD to a dedicated SSE-capacity building foundation to streamline ecosystem development.

Under the revised framework, open market buybacks must be completed within 66 working days, with at least 40% of funds deployed in the first half, and promoters’ holdings remain frozen at the security level during the buyback.

A Quick Transmission Processing category was introduced to speed up the transfer of securities for small-value claims, easing documentation thresholds to 10 lakh for physical holdings and 30 lakh for demat holdings per owner.

SEBI has greenlit a broader set of measures alongside buybacks, approving amendments to mutual fund rules to allow intraday borrowings for liquidity management tied to settlement timing, FX settlements, and derivative mark-to-market obligations.

Securitised debt instruments will align more closely with RBI norms, including single-asset securitisation by RBI-regulated entities and enhanced concentration-disclosure and trustee governance requirements.

Together, these measures give listed companies more flexible capital-management tools while easing certain regulatory burdens and improving investor communication.

The transmission reforms also remove mandatory PAN submission and probate requirements, permit a combined affidavit-NOC, and allow QR-code death certificates and overseas verification channels to expedite transfers.