CCI may step in if AI leads to anti-competitive practices, says Chairperson Ravneet Kaur
New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) India’s fair trade regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), is prepared to take action against any anti-competitive practices that could emerge in the artificial intelligence (AI) space, its Chairperson Ravneet Kaur said on Monday.
Addressing the 11th National Conference on Economics of Competition Law in New Delhi, Ravneet Kaur said the antitrust regulator has identified potential risks in the AI ecosystem, including concentration across the AI value chain, algorithmic collusion, price discrimination, and lack of transparency in AI applications.
“We have identified potential anti-competitive conduct in the AI space, which could include concentration across the AI value chain, algorithmic collusion, price discrimination or opaqueness in AI applications,” she said.
The CCI chief also said that the fair trade regulator is closely monitoring developments across sectors, including sports, civil aviation, liquor, and paints.
She noted that enterprises deploying AI systems should conduct regular self-audits to ensure that their applications do not lead to hidden anti-competitive outcomes.
In a market study released in October 2025, the CCI also emphasised the need for companies to review their AI systems to address potential competition concerns, while the regulator continues to strengthen its technical capabilities and infrastructure to deal with emerging challenges.
“Stakeholders should undertake self-audits to ensure that at the stage of deployment of AI applications, there are no hidden anti-competitive outcomes, which may sometimes occur knowingly or unknowingly,” the CCI Chairperson said.
According to Ravneet Kaur, the rapid growth and adoption of AI has intensified competition but has also raised concerns around data monopolies, algorithm-driven collusion and pricing practices.
The CCI has disposed of nearly 90 per cent of the antitrust cases it has received so far. “We have received 1,360 antitrust cases, of which 1,290 have already been decided,” she said.
On the merger control front, Ravneet Kaur said the CCI follows a proactive and solution-oriented approach.
“The approach followed by the Commission is solution-oriented — we do not aim to block mergers but instead look at voluntary modifications to address competition concerns,” she said.
–IANS
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