The Competition Act, 2002, is finally set to get a makeover, a decade after it was introduced. Why is it being amended? How will mergers and acquisitions be impacted? How will India’s startup ecosystem be impacted?
In this briefing, we will answer all your questions about the Competition Bill and its implications.
Title: Impact of the Competition Bill on Startups
Date: August 26, 2022
Time: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm IST
You can attend this call for a one-time fee of Rs. 750.
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What we will cover
Through this discussion, we are going to examine:
- How will India’s startup ecosystem be impacted by the Competition Amendment Bill?
- How will mergers and acquisitions be impacted?
- How will funding from foreign investors be affected?
- How will the role of Big Tech in the start-up ecosystem be impacted?
- Will bundling of services be restricted? What does this mean for tech companies?
- Companies that are currently under investigation by CCI, how are they going to be affected?
- Why is the new deal value threshold for combinations controversial?
- Will the proposed amendments address antitrust concerns in digital markets like e-commerce?
- Does it plan to address the dominance arising from network effects or excessive data collection?
- Does it plan to address hub-and-spoke cartels?
- How will trade associations and industry bodies be affected?
- How will CCI’s composition change and what does this mean for investigations?
- Does the bill give CCI excessive powers in determining the fate of companies and industries?
- What aspects of digital markets are left unaddressed by the bill, and more.
Who will be speaking
Nikhil Pahwa: Nikhil is the Founder and Editor of MediaNama, a leading publication chronicling the evolution of digital policy in India. Nikhil led the campaign for Net Neutrality in India, which was the largest grassroots campaign in the history of India, with over a million people participating, which led to the shutdown of Facebook’s Free Basics. He also co-founded the Internet Freedom Foundation, which focuses on advocacy for digital rights in India.
Sarvesh Mathi: Sarvesh is a journalist at MediaNama focusing on e-commerce, payments, competition and antitrust. He has been covering the Competition Bill extensively, including updates on the amendment of the bill and the analysis of its impact on businesses and economy.
Why this briefing matters
Own a startup and plan on raising a round of funding? The new Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022, might play spoilsport because of the proposed rules that make it harder for investors to exit an investment. Similarly, the Bill has significant ramifications for big tech companies, mergers and acquisitions, industry bodies, companies currently under investigation by the CCI, among others. In this briefing, we aim to break down the impact of the proposed changes on the various stakeholders of the Indian economy.
In case you know someone who might be interested, please share the link for the passes with them.
The session will begin at 3 pm with a presentation, explaining key points and implications of the bill, followed by a Q&A session, in which attendees can ask questions and/or debate issues.
