New Delhi, August 19: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has notified revised regulations for commitment applications related to competition law. The new rules provide companies with extended deadlines, facilitating the submission of proposed corrective measures during investigations.
According to a notification issued by the CCI on August 18, the deadline for filing commitment applications has been increased from 45 days to 60 days. Additionally, the time available for the CCI to conduct initial reviews of these applications has been extended from 7 working days to 15 working days.
The maximum time limit for resolving cases has also been increased. Previously set at 130 days, this period has now been extended to 180 days.
Notably, Sections 48A and 48B were added to the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023. These provisions allow companies facing allegations of anti-competitive practices, particularly regarding the abuse of market dominance, to voluntarily propose corrective measures or conditions to resolve the matter. This aims to expedite the resolution of competition-related concerns while avoiding lengthy legal processes.
Currently, two significant commitment proposals are under consideration by the CCI. The first is from InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo Airlines, and the second is submitted by Google.
Google’s case pertains to alleged unfair business practices related to the listing of real money gaming apps on the Play Store. Meanwhile, IndiGo’s proposal is linked to an investigation into the abuse of dominance that began after widespread flight disruptions in December 2025.
The public consultation process for both cases has been completed, and the CCI is now set to make a final decision.
The CCI stated that the commitment framework aims to bring about prompt improvements in the market and ensure swift resolutions of competition-related concerns. This not only saves resources for the commission and its director-general but also provides relief to companies from prolonged investigations and litigation.
However, this facility is only available in cases where investigations are ongoing regarding the abuse of market dominance. Cases related to cartels (secret collusion) are excluded from this framework.
The commission noted that the new amendments were made based on recent experiences. During implementation, several administrative and procedural issues arose, including deadlines, correction of errors in applications, fee adjustments, and invalid applications, which necessitated these regulatory changes.
The CCI had also sought suggestions from stakeholders regarding the proposed amendments. Some parties suggested that commitment applications should be allowed at any stage before the director-general’s investigation report is submitted. However, the commission did not accept this suggestion, believing it could increase uncertainty in the investigation process and delay case resolutions.
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