India’s Finance Act, 2026 introduces a tax framework for foreign companies using local data centres but leaves several questions unresolved, say S Vasudevan, Prachi Bharadwaj, and Loveena Manaktala of Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
The Tiger Global Supreme Court ruling weakens the status of tax residency certificates under tax treaties and increases substance‑based scrutiny, say S Vasudevan, Bharathi Krishnaprasad, and Krishna Laasya V of Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
India is signalling flexibility on expat taxation to attract foreign expertise, though employers will need to navigate disclosure, treaty and scope uncertainties
Several key rulings clarify the taxation of cross-border payments as royalties with respect to ‘information concerning industrial, commercial or scientific experience’, say S Vasudevan, Prachi Bhardwaj, and Prakhar Pandey of Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
S Vasudevan, Prachi Bhardwaj, and Prakhar Pandey of Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan question the interpretational clarity of the rules and highlight the practical challenges in limiting interest paid to associated enterprises
S Vasudevan and Prachi Bhardwaj of Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan explain how India’s tax authorities face legal pushback over the Multilateral Instrument’s enforceability, with most favoured nation rulings now affecting its implementation