The Supreme Court remitted the March 2020 ruling of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, which had asked the Competition Commission of India to initiate an investigation into allegations of abuse of dominance against Flipkart, and directed the appellate tribunal to hear the matter again.

The case arose from a complaint by the All India Online Vendors Association, which claimed that Flipkart engaged in below-cost sales and predatory pricing through its connected wholesale and marketplace entities.

The Court observed that the NCLAT must reconsider the appeal on its own merits, without taking into account findings from income tax proceedings that were later overturned, and stated that all issues remain open for fresh adjudication.

[Flipkart v. Competition Commission of India]

The Karnataka Government is exploring the creation of a regulatory sandbox for technology startups after proposed amendments to the Karnataka Innovation Authority rules.

The plan seeks to provide startups a structured framework to test new technologies in areas where regulations are still evolving, while also serving as a basis for recommending policy changes.

The proposed sandbox is aimed at ensuring that innovation progresses alongside the law and at avoiding regulatory uncertainty seen in earlier technology-led disputes.

While startup ecosystem leaders have welcomed the concept, industry veterans have voiced reservations, pointing to earlier sandbox initiatives that failed due to weak execution and stressing the need for sustained government commitment, cabinet-level backing, and a robust review mechanism.

SCC Online has partnered with Harvey to integrate authoritative Indian legal content into Harvey’s AI-powered legal platform.

It was observed that this collaboration will allow lawyers to conduct research, draft documents, and build AI-driven workflows directly using SCC Online’s trusted database of case law, statutes, secondary materials, and precedents.

The partnership enables legal professionals to seamlessly move from research to analysis and drafting within a secure environment.

The initiative reflects a significant step in adopting AI in Indian legal practice while ensuring accuracy, reliability, and continued reliance on authoritative legal sources.

LegalWiki is hosting India’s Legal Startup Pitching Competition 2025, an online event on June 21–22, open to all individuals and teams (up to 3 members) aiming to revolutionize the legal landscape. 

Participants must submit their proposals in PDF format to legalwikilaw@gmail.com by June 18, 2025.

The competition comprises preliminary and final rounds, with the top 5 teams advancing to the finals. Judging criteria include innovation, legal relevance, feasibility, and business strategy.

Winners will receive cash prizes, mentorship, certificate courses, and internship opportunities.

Last Date to Register: June 10, 2025. For more details and to register, visit the official blog post.

WTFund, founded by Nikhil Kamath, has launched its third cohort, C1/25, for Indian entrepreneurs under the age of 25.  

The program offers selected early-stage startups a non-dilutive grant of ₹20 lakh, allowing founders to retain full ownership.  In addition to funding, participants will receive structured mentorship, operational guidance, and access to a network of industry experts and investors.  

The initiative focuses on early-stage startups in sectors like health tech, AI, and consumer technology, aiming to empower young innovators with both capital and strategic support.  Applications are open until May 31, 2025.

India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has partnered with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) to bolster early-stage climate-tech startups.  

This two-year collaboration introduces the Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge (ENTICE), offering up to $500,000 in rewards for scalable clean energy solutions.  

The initiative provides startups with funding, mentorship, pilot opportunities, and market access, aiming to align with India's net-zero goals.  Investment support will be facilitated through partners like Spectrum Impact and Avana Capital.  

DPIIT plans to integrate this program into the Startup India network, enhancing its reach within the national entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

The Delhi High Court fined LawSikho ₹1 lakh for filing a defamation case against four people who criticized its law courses on X (Twitter).

LawSikho claimed the tweets could harm its business and affect its stock value. 

The defendants argued their comments were fair opinions.

The court noted that Lawsikho did not approach the court with clean hands and ruled that social media posts may be disparaging but cannot be defamatory since it is a casual medium. 

Since LawSikho didn’t follow the rules under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the court dismissed the petition.

Sharan Hegde's 1% Club became the first finfluencer-led company to obtain SEBI’s Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) licence, allowing it to provide regulated financial advice.

This milestone comes despite SEBI's recent circular on January 29, which restricts stock-market educators from referencing stock prices less than three months old and effectively prohibits discussions on current market prices.

Managing ₹1,000 crore in assets, the company aims to bridge the gap in financial planning services in India, where demand far exceeds supply.

Additionally, the firm is launching educational programmes on tax planning, crypto, and stock market trading, including India’s first physical stock market institute, the Bombay Trading School.

Paxton, an Oregon-based legal tech startup, has secured $22 million in Series A funding led by Unusual Ventures, with participation from Kyber Knight, 25Madison, and Wisconsin Valley Ventures.

Founded in 2023 by CEO Tanguy Chau and CTO Michael Ulin, Paxton's AI-driven platform automates legal research, drafting, and real-time updates.

The company has seen rapid growth, with a 14x increase in monthly recurring revenue and an 8x rise in active customers in nine months.

The new funding will fuel technology expansion and team growth, aiming to make advanced legal tools accessible to firms of all sizes.

In a landmark collaboration, NLU Delhi has signed an MoU with Counsello AI to develop AI-powered legal and regulatory solutions, advancing AI applications in legal research, drafting, and regulatory compliance.

As part of its legal-tech incubation initiative, NLU Delhi has also established the NLU Delhi Foundation, a Section 8 company and the Centre for Innovation, Incubation, and Entrepreneurship (CIIE).

Counsello AI is the first startup to be incubated under this initiative.

Additionally, NLU Delhi is launching "Nyayasutra," its own legal AI model trained on Indian case laws, offering precise legal insights.

This partnership aims to revolutionize legal technology and enhance access to justice in India.

The Union Budget 2025 announced a renewed ₹10,000 crore Fund of Funds (FoF) to support Indian startups, expanding its scope to include sectors like AI, robotics, and clean energy. 

The initial FoF launched in 2016 mobilized ₹91,000 crore in investments. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also extended the eligibility period for tax benefits under Section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act by five years.

This allows startups incorporated until April 1, 2030, to avail of incentives like a three-year tax holiday and exemptions from capital gains tax. This move aims to provide crucial growth capital for early-stage and deep-tech ventures.

Startup incubator T-Hub (Sujit Jagirdar, Interim CEO) has introduced T-Edge, a program designed to provide expert advice on managing intellectual property (IP), as well as legal, financial, and procurement issues.

The goal is to assist startups in protecting their innovations and improving their business value through effective IP strategies.

At the Inaugural session, specialists talked about the processes for patents and trademarks, affordable IP protection options, and the difficulties encountered by AI-focused startups. They also examined global patent filing and enforcement challenges.

 T-Hub, in partnership with NALSAR, aims to raise awareness and provide entrepreneurs with the necessary resources for lasting success.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recently convened with more than 70 alternate investment funds (AIFs) to plan ways to enhance funding for startups, particularly in smaller cities. 

Through the Fund of Funds Scheme (FFS), a Rs 10,000 crore initiative, Sebi-registered AIFs receive support to invest in startups, with commitments surpassing Rs 1 lakh crore.

To date, over Rs 20,000 crore has been allocated by significant players such as Chiratae Ventures and Blume Ventures. 

DPIIT also encouraged corporations to partner with startups to address challenges, emphasizing opportunities for global integration and the positive effects of the abolished angel tax.