In a major decision dealing with the liberalization of India’s legal market, the nation’s top court ruled this week that foreign law firms still are not permitted to establish physical offices in India, but they are allowed to advise on non-Indian law matters on a temporary basis.

In a 52-page decision handed down by the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday, a two-judge bench agreed with lower courts that international law firms should be allowed to give foreign law advice to clients on a so-called “fly-in, fly-out” basis in India but foreign lawyers cannot set up offices in the country.