Welcome to The morning report brought to you by Renil S Varghese — your quick dive into the top stories shaping the business world today. Fast, insightful, and to the point.
1. SEBI allows equity MF schemes to invest in gold, silver
SEBI has allowed equity‑oriented mutual fund schemes to invest their residual portion in gold and silver, in addition to Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs). The residual portion refers to the part of a fund not invested in its core mandate—such as the 20% flexibility in large‑cap funds. This move gives fund managers an extra asset class and offers investors exposure to precious metals. SEBI has also introduced a new ‘Life Cycle’ fund category that adjusts equity and debt based on investor age, while discontinuing solutions‑oriented schemes. Additionally, SEBI capped portfolio overlap between Value and Contra funds at 50% and launched sector‑based debt funds.
2. Now there is a new 48-hour free cancellation window for air tickets
India’s aviation regulator DGCA has introduced a major passenger-friendly rule allowing a 48‑hour “Look‑in option” to cancel or modify flight bookings without extra charges, apart from fare differences. This applies to domestic tickets booked seven days in advance and international tickets booked 15 days ahead via airline websites. The new rules mandate faster refunds—seven days for credit cards, immediate for cash, and within 14 working days for travel‑agent bookings. Airlines can no longer default to credit shells, must refund all statutory charges, and cannot levy cancellation fees above basic fare plus fuel surcharge. Name corrections within 24 hours are now free.
3. Sebi updates MF scheme classification norms
SEBI has updated the mutual fund classification framework to reflect evolving investment strategies while keeping clear investment boundaries. The regulator has replaced earlier 2025 circulars and retained five scheme groups: Equity, Debt, Hybrid, Life Cycle and Other schemes. Equity funds must primarily invest in equity instruments, while debt funds focus on debt securities. Hybrid schemes will invest across equity, debt, Infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) and permitted commodity-linked instruments. Life Cycle funds remain solution‑oriented, and Other schemes include Fund of Funds and passive options like index funds and ETFs. SEBI also clarified that a scheme’s “residual portion” refers to assets not invested in its core mandated classes.
4. Digital platforms must share revenue fairly with news publishers, content creators: Vaishnaw
At the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave 2026, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged digital platforms to ensure fair revenue sharing with news publishers and content creators, warning that India could mandate it through legal frameworks already used in countries like Australia and Canada. He emphasised that original content must be fairly compensated to support societal and intellectual growth. The Union Minister also cautioned that trust is under strain due to deepfakes, disinformation and synthetic media. Stressing that platforms now function as powerful media outlets, he said they must take responsibility for hosted content, ensure online safety, and avoid generating synthetic content without explicit consent.
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Published on February 27, 2026