Parliament Question: Competition Law Reforms and Enforcement

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1446 ANSWERED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2026 COMPETITION LAW REFORMS AND ENFORCEMENT QUESTION

1446. Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab:

Shri Anurag Sharma:

Shri Tejasvi Surya:

Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti:

Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram:

Will the Minister of CORPORATE AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) the major developments during the year 2025 in competition law enforcement, including antitrust actions and merger control oversight by the Competition Commission of India;

(b) the steps taken by the Government to operationalise recent competition law reforms, including settlement and commitment mechanisms and changes in penalty determination;

(c) the institutional and procedural measures adopted by the Government to improve the efficiency, transparency and timeliness of proceedings before the said Commission; and

(d) the objectives and key competition concerns identified under the Competition Commission of India’s Market Study on Artificial Intelligence and the manner in which its findings are proposed to inform future competition policy and enforcement? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS.(SHRI HARSH MALHOTRA)

(a) During the calendar year 2025, the Competition Commission of India (‘CCI’) registered 54 matters relating to anti-competitive practices/ antitrust and received 149 merger (M&A) filings. The Commission passed final orders in 38 antitrust cases and disposed of 146 merger notices.

(b) To operationalize recent competition law reforms, the Government of India notified various Rules and Regulations under the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023. The details are placed at Annexure.

With respect to penalty determination, the Competition

(Amendment) Act, 2023 provided for calculation of penalty based on the global turnover of the person or enterprise. The Competition Commission of India has notified the CCI (Determination of Monetary Penalty) Guidelines, 2024, which lay down a detailed methodology for determination of penalty.

(c) To improve the efficiency, transparency and timeliness of proceedings before the Commission, Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023 introduced forward looking reforms to reduce the time limit for approval of combinations (M&As), from 210 days to 150 days and also introduced settlement and commitment framework in the interests of faster resolution of competition cases.

Further, the Green Channel route incorporated under the Act facilitates expedited approval of combinations through deemed approval upon filing of notice with the CCI, thereby enabling faster resolution of competition cases.

(d) The Market Study on AI and Competition was undertaken to understand key AI system and markets/ecosystems including stakeholders, essential inputs/resources, value chains, market structures and competition parameters; examine emerging competition issues; assess AI applications, opportunities, risks and ramification; understand regulatory/ legal frameworks in India and other major jurisdictions; and ascertain the Commission’s enforcement and advocacy priorities.

The Study identified key competition concerns includingconcentration in the AI value chain due to high upfront costs and access to data and talent; ecosystem lock-in and switching costs, risks of algorithmic collusion through AI-driven pricing algorithms and automated business decisions; self-preferencing across the AI tech stack and AI-enabled price discrimination through use of consumer data.

To promote a competitive AI ecosystem in India and protect consumer welfare, the findings include self-audit of AI systems for competition compliance by businesses; improved transparency and reducing of information asymmetry; focused advocacy and capacity building by CCI; continuation of Government policy initiatives; and inter-regulatory coordination and international cooperation.Annexure The Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023 was notified on

11.04.2023. Pursuant to the Amendment, the following Rules have been framed under the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023: i. The Competition (Form of Publication of Guideline) Rules

2023. (GSR No. 795(E). ii. The Competition (Minimum Value of Assets or Turnover) Rules, 2024. (GSR No. 547(E). iii. The Competition (Criteria of Combination) Rules 2024. (GSR No. 548(E). iv. The Competition (Criteria for Exemption of Combinations) Rules 2024. (GSR No. 549(E).

In addition, all relevant Regulations under the Competition

(Amendment) Act, 2023 have been framed and notified, namely: ⮚ The Competition Commission of India (Lesser Penalty) Regulations, 2024 ⮚ The Competition Commission of India (Settlement) Regulations, 2024 ⮚ The Competition Commission of India (Commitment) Regulations, 2024 ⮚ The Competition Commission of India (Determination of Turnover or Income) Regulations, 2024 ⮚ The Competition Commission of India (Combination) Regulations, 2024 ⮚ The Competition Commission of India (General) Regulations, 2024 ****