India’s Regulator Conducts Studies On Telecom M&A

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is conducting studies on the country’s telecom sector as well as merger and acquisition in the digital market, the watchdog’s Chairperson Ashok Kumar Gupta said on Monday, June 8, as it seeks to bolster capabilities to deal with unfair business ways.

The fair trade regulator, which has an “overarching jurisdiction” across sectors, has powers to act against anti-competitive practices and also promote fair competition.

In an interview to PTI, Gupta said the CCI is planning to undertake market studies in other sectors as well. “At present, apart from market study on the telecom sector, a study on merger and acquisition in the digital market is going on. CCI is also planning to initiate market study in the pharmaceutical sector,” he said.

Amid increasing online business activities, including e-commerce portals, there have also been concerns in certain quarters about possible anti-competition impact on offline businesses. Against this backdrop, the regulator is also looking to enhance its expertise to deal with competition issues arising out of the digital economy.

Full Content: Business Today

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