NEW DELHI, Oct 6: To bolster its abilities for keeping unfair practices under check, the Competition Commission is carrying out detailed studies on multiple sectors such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, financial services and technology.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) Chairman Ashok Chawla said these sectoral studies would help the regulator in strengthening its knowledge base, especially in areas vulnerable to anti-competitive practices.
“The objective is that we collect the pool of knowledge and information in the Commission and that our people are more aware of certain sectors, which are not just important but could show evidence or trends of anti-competitive practices,” Chawla told PTI in an interview.
The Commission is getting studies done on financial sector, high technology markets, healthcare and pharmaceutical segments, among others.
Underlining the importance of such studies, the CCI chief said as and when a matter needs to be taken up, the regulator would be ready with basic, background information and material which can be used for analysis.
“That is the objective and that is something that goes at different points in time and in different sectors. We also get studies done from outside institutions and academic bodies. We keep that as part of our knowledge base,” he said.
In the financial sector, the current study would mainly look at possible anti-competitive practices in areas like banking and insurance.
In recent years, the CCI has conducted various studies on competition aspects related to different topics including ‘onion markets’, ‘Indian pharmaceutical industry’, ‘concession agreements in infrastructure sectors’ and ‘steel industry’.
The CCI has passed many orders against entities in sectors, including cement and real estate for indulging in anti-competitive practices. (PTI)
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