Evolving Role of the Competition Commission of India in the Economy, Particularly the Digital Landscape
India’s digital economy is expanding at an unprecedented pace. With this growth comes the challenge of ensuring markets remain fair, competitive, and inclusive. The 25th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance takes a close look at the Competition Commission of India (CCI), its evolving mandate, regulatory reforms, and its capacity to address the complex realities of digital markets.
This Policy Brief distills the key takeaways from the Committee’s report, covering:
- The creation of the Digital Markets Division within the CCI and its role in tackling algorithmic pricing, AI, and big data challenges.
- The impact of the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023, including the new Deal Value Threshold (DVT) and settlement mechanisms.
- Concerns around duopolies in critical sectors and the fate of smaller businesses struggling against digital giants.
- How MSMEs can access data resources to compete on fair terms.
- The evolving global collaborations of the CCI and what they mean for India’s competition landscape.
But the questions that remain are just as significant as the answers given:
- Will the CCI’s proposed 55 new specialist posts finally bridge its resource and expertise gap?
- How will the Digital Competition Bill reshape the balance between innovation and regulation?
- Can India’s competition regime adapt swiftly enough to pre-empt anti-competitive practices in AI-driven markets?
- And most importantly, will these reforms safeguard the interests of startups and MSMEs, or create new compliance burdens?
