In a detailed Lok Sabha disclosure, Minister Harsh Malhotra revealed that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) took up 54 anti-competitive practice cases in 2025, while handling 149 merger applications. This underscores the intensifying scrutiny on market behaviors amid India’s economic growth.
The prior year recorded 38 final orders in defense-against-competition matters and clearance of 146 M&A notices, building a strong track record for the commission.
Pivotal to recent advancements is the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023, which operationalized key reforms through notified rules. Penalties now hinge on worldwide turnover, a shift designed to capture the true economic scale of offenders and enhance deterrence.
Complementing this, the 2024 Penalty Determination Guidelines from CCI lay out a step-by-step framework, considering factors like intent, harm caused, and compliance history for equitable fines.
Procedural overhauls promise faster justice: combination approvals compressed to 150 days, with settlement options and commitment regimes enabling early closures. The innovative Green Channel offers automatic nods for non-problematic mergers, streamlining approvals.
These measures not only accelerate processes but also promote voluntary compliance, vital for sustaining competitive markets. As India eyes global leadership in business, the CCI’s evolved toolkit fortifies fair competition, benefiting consumers and innovators alike.