Did the Competition Commission of India Log 54 Cases of Anti-Competitive Practices and 149 Merger Filings in 2025?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Feb 9 (NationPress) The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has recorded 54 cases concerning anti-competitive practices and has received 149 filings for mergers and acquisitions in 2025, as disclosed to Parliament on Monday.
The Commission has delivered final decisions on 38 antitrust issues and processed 146 merger notifications, stated Harsh Malhotra, the Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, in a written response during the Lok Sabha session.
Furthermore, to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and speed of processes before the Commission, the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023 has implemented progressive reforms, decreasing the approval timeframe for combinations from 210 days to 150 days. It also introduced a settlement and commitment framework aimed at expediting the resolution of competition cases.
As per the minister, various Rules and Regulations have been notified by the government to facilitate the implementation of recent competition law reforms under the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023.
In terms of penalty assessment, the Act stipulates that the calculation will be based on the global turnover of the individual or organization involved, he noted.
Importantly, the Green Channel mechanism established under the Act allows for faster approval of combinations through deemed approval upon submission of notice to the CCI, thus promoting quicker resolution of competition issues.
The minister also shared that a 'Market Study on AI and Competition' was conducted to analyze critical AI systems and markets/ecosystems, including stakeholders, crucial inputs/resources, value chains, market structures, and competition parameters.
This study highlighted significant competition challenges such as high upfront costs leading to concentration in the AI value chain, ecosystem lock-in, and switching costs, risks of algorithmic collusion due to AI-driven pricing algorithms and automated business strategies; self-preferencing across the AI tech stack, and AI-enabled price discrimination utilizing consumer data.
The findings suggest self-auditing of AI systems for competition compliance by businesses; enhanced transparency and reduction of information asymmetry; targeted advocacy and capacity building by the CCI; continuation of governmental policy initiatives; and inter-regulatory coordination alongside international collaboration, as per Malhotra.