Competition Commission of India
Also called: CCI · Topic: Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial Bodies · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is a statutory body under the Competition Act 2002. Its job is to keep markets fair. It does three things:
- acts against cartels (firms secretly agreeing to fix prices);
- acts against abuse of dominance (a big firm misusing its power);
- reviews mergers.
It is a quasi-judicial body, meaning it hears both sides and decides like a court. Appeals against its orders go to the NCLAT. The 2023 amendment added a ₹2,000 crore deal-value threshold for reviewing mergers and allowed settlements.
Example
In CCI v. Bharti Airtel (2018), the Supreme Court held that on telecom-specific questions, TRAI should decide first, before the CCI steps in. The case shows how sector regulators and the CCI can overlap.
Don't confuse with
- TRAI: TRAI regulates only the telecom sector. The CCI covers competition in all sectors.
Related concepts
- Regulatory body
- Regulatory capture
- Securities and Exchange Board of India
- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
- Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
- Central Electricity Regulatory Commission