India

In today’s fast-paced digital age, the boundaries between work and personal life have nearly disappeared. Smartphones buzz late into the night, emails arrive at odd hours, and employees feel pressured to stay constantly available even during weekends, holidays, or personal time. This “always-on” culture has fueled stress, burnout, and a decline in mental well-being across professions. To address this growing concern, Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), introduced the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 during the winter session of Parliament. The bill aims to give employees the legal right to switch off from work after hours and protect them from penalties for doing so. A. Key Provisions of the Bill Employees can refuse after-hours communication The Bill grants employees the right to ignore work-related calls, messages, emails, or instructions once their shift ends. No disciplinary action for not responding If an employee chooses not to respond after office hours, the employer cannot penalize or discipline them for it. Overtime pay for after-hours work If an employee voluntarily responds to work-related communication after hours, they are entitled to overtime pay at the normal wage rate. After-hours communication only if mutually agreed Employers can contact workers after office hours only when both parties have mutually agreed upon a communication window. Establishment of an Employees’ Welfare Authority The Bill proposes the creation of a new authority responsible for: enforcing the right to disconnect conducting baseline studies supporting negotiations on after-hour engagement monitoring compliance across organizations with 10+ employees Counseling services for stress & burnout To support mental health, the government would provide access to counseling services helping employees maintain a healthy work–life balance. Digital detox centres The Bill suggests forming digital detox centers to help individuals reduce harmful screen habits and manage digital overload. Penalties for non-compliance Companies violating the provisions may face sanctions amounting to 1% of the total employee remuneration, a meaningful financial deterrent.   B. Why the Bill Matters The modern workforce is grappling with rising stress, burnout, anxiety, and work-induced fatigue. Remote work and digital tools, while beneficial, have blurred the line between “office hours” and “after hours.” Employees often feel pressured to stay available at all times, leading to: reduced mental well-being lack of personal time exhaustion and overwork disrupted family relationships productivity drops The Right to Disconnect Bill seeks to rebuild a healthy boundary between professional and personal life. By protecting an employee’s off-duty hours, the Bill encourages better mental health, improved job satisfaction, and greater overall well-being. C. Global Precedents Several countries have already adopted the right to disconnect, recognizing its importance in the digital era: France pioneered it in 2017. Portugal prohibits employers from contacting workers after hours. Australia passed its own right-to-disconnect legislation in 2023. India’s proposed bill follows these international trends and adds unique measures like counseling services and digital detox centers. D. Conclusion The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 reflects a growing recognition of the need to protect employees from the pressures of a hyper-connected work culture. Even if it does not become law soon, it sparks an important national conversation about work life balance, mental health, digital well-being, and the rights of employees in a technology-driven age. Co-authored by Neeraj Vyas, Partner ([email protected]) and Mehak Chadha, Associate ([email protected]).

King Stubb & Kasiva (KSK) is pleased to announce a positive development in the personality rights suit filed on behalf of Shri Pawan Kalyan, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and celebrated actor. On December 12, 2025, the Delhi High Court, presided over by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, directed major social media intermediaries, Meta, Google and X, to examine and act on complaints relating to unauthorised commercial use of Shri Kalyan’s persona within one week, and to communicate any reservations they may have directly to him. The matter has been listed for further consideration on December 22, 2025. The suit underscores the growing importance of safeguarding personality rights in a rapidly expanding digital landscape. The Court’s directions reflect an encouraging emphasis on accountability and responsible content management across online platforms, helping to ensure meaningful protection of an individual’s name, likeness and identity. King Stubb & Kasiva welcomes the Court’s proactive stance and remains committed to advancing the protection of personality rights and digital identities for public figures and private individuals alike. The firm remains committed to championing personality rights and safeguarding digital identities for public figures and private individuals, as part of its broader focus on technology law, digital rights, and intellectual property protection.   For media enquiries, please contact: Shruti Thapa Contact No – 9101333234, [email protected] For more information visit https://ksandk.com/contact-us/ / [email protected]

STL Networks Limited has issued 15,000 rated, listed, senior, secured, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs), each with a face value of INR 1,00,000, aggregating to INR 150 crore. The issuance comprised a base issue size of INR 100 crore along with a greenshoe option of INR 50 crore. This transaction marks the first listed debt issuance by STL Networks Limited. SNG & Partners acted as the legal counsel to STL Networks Limited in relation to this NCD issuance. STL Networks Limited, operating under the brand name Invenia, is engaged in providing comprehensive network integration, setup and maintenance services. The company supports enterprises, telecom operators, and government bodies through its expertise in fiber network deployment, data center establishment, cybersecurity solutions and related infrastructure services. The financing, structured as private placement of NCDs, has been undertaken to support the company’s working capital requirements and general corporate purposes. The transaction was led by Aditya Vikram Dua (Partner and Head of Financial Services), with Nishtha Arora (Associate Partner), Shubham Mundada (Associate) and Kartikeya Rao (Associate) forming the core transaction team.

King Stubb & Kasiva (KSK) is pleased to announce that the firm served as the lead counsel for IGT Solutions, an EQT Group portfolio company renowned for its digital and data-driven transformation solutions, in its acquisition of Yexle Limited, a UK-headquartered IT services company with operations across the United States, India, and Australia. Yexle specialises exclusively in the design, development, and delivery of digital solutions built on the Appian low-code automation platform. This cross-border transaction strengthens IGT Solutions’ technology services capabilities and reinforces its strategic focus on expanding expertise in automation-led digital transformation. The transaction was led by KSK’s Senior Partner Rajesh Sivaswamy and Associate Partner Surbhi Kapoor, who acted as lead counsel, supported by Udita Arya, Ashok Neelakandhan, Akriti Sharma, Mona Rawat, and Hariom Bajpai. Their combined expertise ensured the seamless execution of this complex, multi-jurisdictional acquisition. This successful outcome was further enabled by the dedicated support of Yogeshwar Dutt (Senior Vice President & Head - Corporate Development at IGT Solutions), Radha Papinani (GGC at IGT Solutions), and Megha Grewal (Senior Legal Counsel at IGT Solutions).