INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Competition Commission's role in cases emanating from new age markets is to ensure that platforms remain neutral, offer a level playing
field and allow enterprises, big or small, to compete on merit, a top regulatory official said on Friday.Noting that the regulator has
examined more than 1,100 cases of anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position in diverse sectors since its inception, CCI
Chairperson Ashok Kumar Gupta said the instrument of enforcement has been applied judiciously.Competition Commission of India (CCI) has the
mandate to keep a tab on unfair business practices across sectors
According to him, there has been a steady rise in cases reviewed by CCI emanating from new-age markets, which range from search engines,
online marketplace platforms, app stores and payment gateways to online travel, food aggregators, cab aggregators and social
networking."Such cases involving search bias, predatory pricing, deep discounting, self-preferencing and leveraging have a direct interface
with competition law regime
"The Commission's role in such cases is to ensure that platforms, which act as a central point of interaction between different sides in
digital markets, remain neutral, offer a level playing field and allow enterprises, big or small, to compete on merit," Gupta said.In these
fast-evolving and dynamic markets, he said the regulatory stance needs to be nuanced, and the enforcement toolbox needs to be adapted to
these changes so that the instrumentality remains fit for purpose."The challenge is to keep abreast of the developments in these markets and
continue to evolve and refine the tools
This will help make timely interventions and strike a fine balance so that efficiency and innovation are not stifled and markets remain free
from anti-competitive practices," he added.Speaking at a conference organised by industry body CII, he also said that in correcting
market-distorting practices, the regulator has used an effective mix of the twin instruments of enforcement and advocacy."The instrument of
enforcement has been applied in a calibrated manner, with interventions made only in such cases where business conduct was found to
seriously undermine market processes and mute competition
"While dealing with cartels firmly, CCI has been cognizant of business realities and moulded its remedies appropriately," he added.Gupta
said while digital incursions foster competition by creating more opportunities, bringing transparency to online intermediation and reducing
search cost for consumers, on the other hand, the increasingly technology-laden economy is bringing new issues and concerns to competition
