Business
Lower electricity prices? CERC reviews power trading fee to ease cost; sector gears up for market coupling – The Times of India
Electricity buyers may see lower costs as the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) reviews transaction fees charged by power trading exchanges. The review is taking place alongside the regulator’s push to introduce market coupling, a long-awaited reform aimed at improving efficiency in price discovery, increasing liquidity and bringing uniformity to electricity prices across trading platforms. Over time, the combined effect of these changes is expected to reduce the overall cost of power procurement. Market coupling was approved by CERC in July this year after more than two years of discussions and is proposed to be rolled out in stages, starting with the day-ahead market (DAM) from January 2026. Once implemented, buy and sell bids from all power exchanges will be pooled together to determine a single market-clearing price, replacing the existing system under which prices differ across exchanges. An official said that the regulator has finalised a staff paper titled ‘Review of Transaction Fee charged by the Power Exchanges’ in December 2025. According to the official, who spoke to PTI on the condition of anonymity, CERC is assessing whether the current transaction fee cap of 2 paise per unit is still appropriate at a time when traded volumes have risen sharply and the market is transitioning towards a unified price discovery mechanism. Among the options being discussed is a fixed transaction fee of 1.5 paise per unit for most trading segments. Under the present framework, power exchanges generally charge close to the permitted ceiling. Another proposal under consideration is a lower fee of 1.25 paise per unit for term-ahead market (TAM) contracts, reflecting their longer tenure and comparatively lower operational intensity. India’s exchange-based power market has seen rapid growth over the past decade. Electricity traded through exchanges has increased more than 16 times since 2009-10, with total traded volumes exceeding 120 billion units in 2023-24. While the day-ahead market previously accounted for nearly all exchange-based trading, real-time, intra-day and term-ahead segments now make up an increasing share. Industry experts believe market coupling will help reduce price disparities across exchanges, improve the use of generation capacity and allow buyers to access power at more efficient rates. “Since bids are aggregated across all exchanges, prices are expected to converge and soften to some extent, benefiting distribution companies and large consumers and eventually end-users,” one expert told PTI.At present, Indian Energy Exchange dominates the segment, accounting for nearly 90% of exchange-based power trading volumes, with Power Exchange India Ltd (PXIL) and Hindustan Power Exchange Ltd (HPX) accounting for the rest. Under the approved framework, all three exchanges will act as Market Coupling Operators on a rotational basis, while Grid-India will serve as a backup and audit operator to safeguard system integrity. Officials pointed out that transaction fee structures will gain added significance once exchanges cease competing on price discovery. With transaction fees contributing more than 95% of revenues for established exchanges, any revision is expected to have a meaningful impact on the sector. The official said discussions on transaction fees are still at an early stage, and any changes will be finalised after stakeholder consultations, keeping in mind the broader objective of improving efficiency, transparency and affordability in India’s power markets.
Business
Craft beer brewer BrewDog could be broken up as sale process begins
Beermaker BrewDog could be broken up after consultants were called in to help look for new investors.
The Scotland-based brewer, which makes craft beer such as Punk IPA and Elvis Juice, has appointed consultants AlixPartners to oversee a sale process.
Last month, BrewDog announced it was closing its distilling brands, sparking concerns for jobs at its facility in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
The company, which was founded in 2007, said it made the decision to focus on its beer products.
No decision has been made in respect of the sale process.
A spokesperson for BrewDog said: “As with many businesses operating in a challenging economic climate and facing sustained macro headwinds, we regularly review our options with a focus on the long-term strength and sustainability of the company.
“Following a year of decisive action in 2025, which saw a focus on costs and operating efficiencies, we have appointed AlixPartners to support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business.
“This is a deliberate and disciplined step with a focus on strengthening the long-term future of the BrewDog brand and its operations.
“BrewDog remains a global pioneer in craft beer: a world-class consumer brand, the number one independent brewer in the UK and with a highly engaged global community.
“We believe that this combination will attract substantial interest, though no final decisions have been made.
“Our breweries, bars, and venues continue to operate as normal. We will not comment on any further speculation.”
Brewdog operates 72 bars around the world as well as four breweries.
Business
‘Better to abolish RERA’: Supreme court says law helping defaulting builders
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has raised serious concerns over how real estate regulatory authorities are functioning across the country. Taking a sharp view, the top court said it may be “better to abolish” these bodies, suggesting they have failed to protect homebuyers and instead appear to benefit defaulting builders. The court added that states should reconsider the very need for such authorities if they are not serving their intended purpose.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said states should rethink the original purpose behind introducing RERA. The court observed that instead of protecting homebuyers, the law appears to be helping defaulting builders and not serving its intended role.
Expressing strong concern, CJI Surya Kant said states should reflect on the purpose for which RERA was created. He suggested the institution is failing to serve homebuyers and instead appears to benefit defaulting builders. “All states should now think of the people for whom the institution of RERA was created. Except facilitating builders in default, it is not doing anything else. Better to just abolish this institution,” CJI Kant said, quoted by Bar and Bench.
Last year, the High Court had stayed the state government’s decision to shift the RERA office, pointing out that the move was taken “without even identifying an alternative office location”. The court also noted that transferring 18 outsourced employees to other boards and corporations, as requested, “would render the functioning of Rera defunct”.
The Supreme Court, however, set aside the High Court’s order and allowed the state government to shift the RERA office to Dharamshala. It also permitted the relocation of the appellate tribunal to the same location. “With a view to ensure that persons affected by Rera orders are not inconvenienced, the principal appellate is also moved to Dharamshala,” the apex court said.
What Is RERA And Why It Matters
RERA, introduced in 2016, was aimed at addressing project delays, improving transparency and safeguarding homebuyers’ interests. Earlier, each state and union territory operated its own RERA website. However, in September 2025, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched a unified RERA portal that brings together data from across states and UTs on a single platform.
Business
SEBI Proposes Overhaul Of Gold And Silver ETF Price Bands After Sharp Swings
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SEBI proposes stricter base price and band rules for gold, silver ETFs, including cooling-off periods after sharp global price swings to curb volatility.

Amid Global Commodity Volatility, SEBI Plans New Price Band Rules for Gold, Silver ETFs
The market regulator has sought to curb extreme volatility in gold and silver Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) by proposing changes to the base price and price band framework. Currently, there are no separate price bands for ETFs aligned with their underlying assets, making them vulnerable to sharp price movements.
The proposal comes after sharp volatility in gold and silver ETFs triggered by fluctuations in global commodity prices. On some days, these ETFs fell by over 15%, while on others, they recorded sharp gains.
Stock exchanges currently apply a fixed price band of plus or minus 20% on the base price of ETFs, except for Overnight ETFs investing only in TREPs, which have a price band of plus or minus 5%.
Moreover, the base price for applying price bands to ETFs is taken as the T-2 day closing Net Asset Value (NAV) by exchanges, instead of the T-1 day closing NAV or price, as is the case with indices and individual stocks. This creates a challenge, as the closing NAV of ETFs typically differs between T-1 and T-2 days. Corporate actions such as bonuses and dividends are adjusted manually, increasing the risk of errors.
What Are the Key Proposals?
SEBI has proposed that the base price be determined using either the closing price of the ETF on T-1 day (weighted average price of the last 30 minutes), the closing NAV of T-1 day, or the average indicative NAV (iNAV) of the last 30 minutes of T-1 day.
Further, the regulator has proposed an initial price band of plus or minus 10% for equity and debt ETFs, which can be flexed up to plus or minus 20%. A cooling-off period of 15 minutes will apply, and up to two flexes will be allowed in a day.
For gold and silver ETFs, the regulator has proposed an initial price band of plus or minus 6%, which can be flexed up to plus or minus 20%. This will also include a 15-minute cooling-off period.
February 14, 2026, 16:08 IST
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