Competition Law Newsletter

The Competition Commission of India (Commitment) Amendment Regulations, 2026 recalibrate key timelines, introduce a structured re-filing mechanism for defective applications and align the framework with the CCI General Regulations, 2024.

India has two regulatory layers- sector regulators since the 1990s and the CCI, which alone handles competition matters since 2002, and this has created real gaps and clashes, as seen in telecom, electricity, aviation, and conflicting court rulings. The article argues this isn’t a genuine conflict but a design flaw as the CCI is best placed to judge competition consistently, while sectoral regulators bring technical expertise the CCI lacks. This gap was flagged back in 2011 in a policy draft that was never implemented. The article proposes practical fixes, mandatory coordination, sunset clauses for outdated rules, and a revived regulator forum.

On 13 July 2026, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed penalties exceeding ₹142 crore on HP India and several reselers under Section 27 of the Competition Act, 2002 (Competition Act) for cartelisation and bid rigging in the sale and supply of HP personal system products, including laptops, desktops, workstations and accessories (Computers Case), and ink and toner cartridges (Cartridges Case). The orders arose from lesser penalty applications filed by HP India under Section 46 of the Competition Act read with the CCI (Lesser Penalty) Regulations, 2009.

India’s proposed Digital Competition Law has evolved through several stages, from the 2022 Parliamentary Committee report and the 2024 Committee on Digital Competition Law’s draft Bill, through a 2025 government reconsideration, to renewed Parliamentary backing for an ex-ante framework in August 2026. Drawing on comparative experience from the EU, UK, and Japan, this article argues that legislative reform must be matched by a strengthened Competition Commission of India if ex-ante regulation is to work in practice.

India's Competition Commission imposed penalties totaling approximately INR 138.98 crore on HP India Sales Private Limited for bid-rigging in Government e-Marketplace tenders. The landmark rulings clarify when original equipment manufacturers and their resellers become horizontal competitors, and establish that first-in leniency applications do not automatically guarantee full immunity from penalties.

An analysis of India’s competition-law whistleblower and lesser-penalty regime, examining the CCI’s treatment of self-reporting, the 2026 HP India orders, leniency conditions, corporate compliance and lessons from international cartel cases.

As India's retail landscape evolves into an integrated omnichannel ecosystem, competition law frameworks continue to treat online and offline retail as separate markets. With e-commerce representing just 6-7% of consumer spending while consumers seamlessly move between digital and physical channels, the question emerges: are regulators defining markets based on outdated channel distinctions rather than actual competitive dynamics?

This edition of the Competition Law Newsletter covers significant developments in Indian competition law, including landmark decisions from the Supreme Court, NCLAT, and the Competition Commission of India. The newsletter examines enforcement actions against major corporations, merger approvals involving international players, and a Parliamentary Committee's recommendations for strengthening competition regulation in India.

This comprehensive monthly update examines significant competition law developments in India, including a landmark bid-rigging case involving HP India and its resellers, IndiGo's commitment application addressing operational disruptions, and the CCI's analysis of pricing practices in online food delivery platforms. The edition also covers major merger approvals in the power generation and automotive components sectors.

Competition law in India is governed by the Competition Act, 2002 (‘Act’) which is not confined the adjudication of bilateral disputes; it is designed to protect market structure, consumer welfare, and the competitive process, as a whole. The distinction between a right in rem and a right in personam is central to understanding this design.

RBI's February 13, 2026, amendments to capital market exposure framework, effective from April 1, 2026 (or earlier if adopted by banks), enable Indian banks, for the first time, to finance LBOs/acquisitions up to 75% of deal value, subject to specified conditions.

As AI-generated visuals become routine in creative pitches, a new legal grey zone is emerging, one that many businesses underestimate until it becomes a dispute. A common scenario illustrates this risk.

Narendra Dingankar – Partner, shares the latest insights on The Repealing and Amending Act, 2025, and its key amendments to the Indian Succession Act, General Clauses Act, and Civil Procedure Code.

Our Competition Law Newsletter gives summarised updates on the key legal and regulatory developments in the domain of Competition Law occurring between July 2025 to September 2025.

Our Media and Entertainment Law Newsletter for the months of September and October 2025 giving summarized updates on the developments relevant to the Media and Entertainment industries.

Our Gaming Law update for October 2025 provides a summary of the key developments arising out of the Draft Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2025.

Our Insurance Law Newsletter for the month of August 2025 gives summarised updates on the developments relevant to the Insurance industry...

The Lok Sabha on August 20, 2025, passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 which received the President's assent on August 25, 2025 ("Act").

n Gayatri Balasamy ("Appellant") vs. ISG Novasoft Technologies Limited ("Respondent")1, a five-judge constitution bench of the Hon'ble SupremeCourt of India ("SC")...

The Ministry of Communications (Department of Telecommunications) hasreleased draft Telecommunications (Radio Equipment Possession Authorization)...