India's income tax authorities have joined the Reserve Bank of India in raising concerns over virtual digital assets, citing enforcement challenges that threaten the government's ability to track and tax crypto transactions as the Union Budget approaches, Decrypt.com reported. On Wednesday, Tax authorities presented their concerns about cryptocurrency and other virtual digital assets to the parliamentary standing committee of finance, according to a Times of India report.

The Insolvency Bankruptcy Board of India has launched a set of revised electronic forms for the liquidation process to reduce the compliance burden on insolvency professionals and improve the quality of regulatory filings, the Economic Times of India reported. The move came after the Insolvency Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) had notified amendments on January 2 to the IBBI (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016, which mandate that insolvency professionals file the forms, along with enclosures, on the regulator's electronic platform within prescribed timelines.

Bankers expect another blockbuster year for sales of yen-denominated corporate debt from Japanese companies following the record tally of bonds issued in 2025. Rising yields and lower volatility compared with government bonds saw investors snap up ¥16.5 trillion ($105 billion) of local-currency corporate debt in the 12 months through December, the most in records back to 1999, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Australian consumer prices rose by less than forecast in November, data showed on Wednesday, but core inflation showed enough stickiness that investors still saw a risk interest rates would have to be hiked as early as next month, Reuters reported. The Australian dollar initially slipped but was back to where it was, at $0.6734. Three-year government bond futures rose 5 ticks before giving up gains to be slightly lower on the day at 95.78. Investors still see a 33% risk that the Reserve Bank of Australia will be forced to hike rates again in February.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to allow UV Asset Reconstruction Co to initiate insolvency proceedings against Electrosteel Castings Ltd (ECL), while upholding a 2024 ruling of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), the Economic Times of India reported. The issue before the apex court was whether approval of the resolution plan of Electrosteel Steels Ltd (ESL) resulted in extinguishment of the entire debt, thereby barring any claim against ECL as a security provider or erstwhile promoter.

A business lobby representing small and midsize firms urged the government ​to address inflation, including the yen's weakness, saying ‌this was essential to achieving real wage growth, its chief said ‌on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Asset quality in the Indian banking system has improved, with gross non-performing assets reaching a historic low of 2.2 percent in September 2025. While several factors have contributed to this improvement, the role of the ‘Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 (IBC16)’ cannot be undermined, according to a commentary in the Times of India. Among the various debt resolution mechanisms introduced in the post-reform banking system, the enactment of the IBC16 has been critical in protecting the interests of all stakeholders.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Monday the central bank will continue to raise interest rates if economic and price developments move in line with its forecasts, Reuters reported. Japan's economy sustained a moderate recovery last year despite the hit to corporate profits from higher U.S. tariffs, Ueda said in a speech delivered to the country's banking sector lobby. "Wages and prices are highly likely to rise together moderately," Ueda said, adding that adjusting the degree of monetary support will help the economy achieve sustained growth.

Japan's manufacturing activity stalled in December as demand declined at a slower pace from the previous month, a private-sector survey showed, ending a five-month streak of deterioration, Reuters reported. The S&P Global Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was flat at 50.0 in December, improving from 48.7 in November and hitting the break-even point separating expansion from contraction. The decline in new orders in December was the softest since May 2024, the survey showed.