An Accountant Writes
Vol 1, Issue 4 | April 2026
CA Nithya Aravindakshan
From the Editor's Desk
This April marks a regulatory reset. Several new laws take effect; some affect us all while others touch specific niches.
The New Income Tax Act, the Labour Codes, and the DPDP Act affect everyone: in how we report our taxes, how we structure wages, salaries and PF, and how we collect and use digital personal data. For the top 250 listed companies, there is an added responsibility: reporting on ESG performance across the value chain as part of BRSR requirements. For chartered accountants, the revised Code of Ethics – which, for the first time, permits advertising and branding for consulting and accounting services – comes into effect on 1 April. For the banking and financial services sector, the RBI is, again for the first time, permitting bank‑led leveraged buyouts.
We have been tracking many of these shifts in earlier editions – the new Labour Codes in January, leveraged buyouts in February, and the use of digital personal data by technology companies. The DPDP Act now gives a legal framework and, in some ways, starts to answer the questions we raised then.
This edition deep dives into the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. The mandatory compliance date of 13 May 2027 may look comfortably distant, but putting the right systems in place will take time – and the penalties for non‑compliance are large enough to keep any CFO alert. I focus on what entrepreneurs need to do over the next 12 months to be ready for this law. I also touch upon the New Income Tax Act which, on the surface, does not change much in substance, but in my view offers important signals about what to expect in the future.
Food for Thought
I have been talking about Income tax, Labour Codes and the DPDP Act – regulatory changes taking effect in April – without addressing the bigger picture: the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. India imports about 97% of its cooking gas and 45% of its crude oil from the Middle East. The 167‑kilometre‑long Strait of Hormuz is the narrow corridor through which much of this fuel reaches India, and that corridor is at the heart of the conflict today. From underwriters refusing to take on the risk of vessels transiting the Strait, to intense diplomatic negotiations, to the Indian Navy escorting LPG tankers through these waters, the war no longer feels distant; it is lapping at our shores.
How does one prepare for a global “force majeure” event? There is only so much self-reliance and supplier diversification that we can plan for. What do we do when global supply chains are choked? As regulations move progressively to tracking carbon emissions and sustainability, we have oil fields burning in the Middle East.
I would love to hear what resonated with you. Write to me with your thoughts and opinions.
