Shillong, June 21: The IIM Shillong in collaboration with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), successfully hosted a Regional Workshop on Competition Law at its Umsawli campus.
The event, held on Friday, June 20, 2025, brought together dignitaries, legal professionals, academic leaders, and students to deliberate on the evolving landscape of competition law and its implications for the business and regulatory ecosystem in India.
The workshop commenced with an inaugural session featuring the Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India, Smt. Ravneet Kaur, as the keynote speaker. Delivering the welcome address,
Prof. (Dr.) Nalini Prava Tripathy, Director (I/C), IIM Shillong, emphasized the growing importance of competition law in management education. She underlined the critical role of the CCI not just as a regulator but as an institution that helps cultivate a fair and innovative economic environment.
Prof. Tripathy highlighted that today’s management students must be prepared not only for boardrooms but also for responsible leadership in markets that are governed by transparency, innovation, and fairness. She expressed gratitude to the CCI for its commitment to engaging with academic institutions and inspiring future leaders.
In her keynote address, Smt. Ravneet Kaur emphasized the pivotal role of competition law in fostering a fair and transparent market environment. She highlighted the importance of sensitizing future business leaders—particularly management students—on the implications of anti-competitive practices and the relevance of the Competition Act, 2002, in ensuring a level playing field for all market participants.
She spoke on recent developments under the Competition Amendment Act, 2023, including the introduction of the deal value threshold to bring significant mergers and acquisitions—especially in the digital and startup sectors—under regulatory scrutiny.
Smt. Kaur also outlined new enforcement tools such as commitment and settlement frameworks, aimed at expediting market corrections and reducing litigation timelines.
Underscoring the need for self-regulation, she encouraged businesses to proactively implement internal compliance mechanisms. She concluded by drawing attention to the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence in market dynamics, noting that the CCI is closely examining the intersection of AI and competition, particularly concerns around algorithmic collusion and the need for accountability in AI-led systems.
Following the inaugural session, the workshop featured two technical sessions. The first, titled “Competition Act, 2002: An Overview (with recent amendments),” was conducted by Ms. Sweta Kakkad, Member, CCI. The second session, “Competition Law Compliance,” was led by Dr. K. D. Singh, Director (Law), CCI.
These sessions delved into core areas of competition law that directly impact current and future business practices. A Q&A session allowed participants to engage with the experts, reflecting the high level of interest and relevance the topic holds for students and faculty alike.
The Regional Workshop on Competition Law marked a significant step in connecting regulatory policy with academic discourse, fostering a deeper understanding among the next generation of leaders and decision-makers.
