EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA: ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND THE WAY FORWARD
AUTHOR – VAISHAK S, LLM (BUSINESS LAW) AMITY UNIVERSITY, NOIDA.
BEST CITATION – VAISHAK S, EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA: ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND THE WAY FORWARD, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (6) OF 2026, PG. 576-586, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344. DOI – https://doi.org/10.65393/IJLRV6I6460
ABSTRACT:
India’s move from a controlled economy to a liberalized market system needed a robust foundation for competition regulation in order to control how the market worked and make the economy more efficient. The Competition Act, 2002, which was a big change from the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969, set up the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as the main regulating authority. The Commission’s job is to make sure that markets are fair and competitive by blocking agreements that are not fair, controlling the abuse of dominant positions, and keeping an eye on mergers.
This paper critically examines the efficacy of the CCI by analyzing its institutional performance, enforcement techniques, and contributions to the development of Indian competition law doctrine. It looks at important court decisions that have changed how the Competition Act, 2002 is used and understood. These include Competition Commission of India v. Steel Authority of India Ltd., Excel Crop Care Ltd. v. Competition Commission of India., DLF Ltd. v. Competition Commission of India., Google LLC v. Competition Commission of India., and Bharti Airtel Ltd. v. Competition Commission of India.
The report also talks about some of the CCI’s biggest successes, such making merger control more open, enforcing antitrust laws more effectively, and pushing for more competition. However, it points out several problems that make the Commission less effective, such as delays in making decisions, a lack of technical knowledge, constraints on enforcement, and difficulties in regulating new digital markets that have data dominance and network effects. Moreover, jurisdictional overlaps with sectorial regulators continue to hinder effective enforcement and create uncertainty.
The study uses a doctrinal and analytical method to look at how the CCI works by looking at academic literature, statutory provisions, and court decisions. It says that even while the Commission has done a lot to make India more competitive, we still need to build institutions, change procedures, and use new regulatory powers to fix problems in the market. The paper finishes with suggestions for changes that will make the CCI more effective, especially in light of digital economies and global competition trends. These changes will help achieve the goals of consumer welfare, market efficiency, and fair competition.
Key Words: Competition Law, Competition Commission of India, Anti-Competitive Agreements, Abuse of Dominance, Cartelisation, Digital Markets, Consumer Welfare.