AI markets raise fresh competition concerns, regulator coordination key: CCI chair Ravneet Kaur

Competition Commission of India (CCI) chairperson Ravneet Kaur

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping market structures, far outpacing the ability of existing regulatory systems to respond, and creating new competition concerns that require closer coordination among regulators, Competition Commission of India (CCI) chairperson Ravneet Kaur said on December 19.

Kaur's remarks come following a recent CCI market study that examined how AI-driven business models could influence competition.

Kaur said regulators could no longer rely only on established tools. “Things are happening very quickly. Regulators need to adopt AI, and at the same time adapt their methods to the challenges that are being posed,” she said at the "Workshop on Artificial Intelligence, Competition and Governance", an official pre-summit event of the AI Impact Summit 2026.

While AI can improve efficiency and spur innovation, Kaur warned that it also introduces competition risks. These include algorithm-led outcomes that may distort markets, personalised pricing that could result in discriminatory treatment of consumers and so on.

The CCI chairperson said these concerns often intersect with other regulatory domains, particularly data protection.

Referring to the commission’s scrutiny of WhatsApp, she said the case highlighted overlaps between competition enforcement and data governance, with the CCI examining how data could be leveraged as a non-price parameter affecting competition.

Such overlaps, Kaur said, make inter-regulatory coordination unavoidable. She noted that the CCI has statutory provisions allowing it to enter into memoranda of understanding with sectoral regulators, a mechanism that is likely to see greater use as AI adoption expands.

Kaur also flagged the absence of India’s data protection regulator in current discussions. “We would have liked to have the data protection board (DPB) on board."

Although the the data protection board, under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act has been notified, its members and chairperson are yet to be appointed.

She added that agencies such as the Consumer Protection Authority would also need to be part of the conversation.

Another unresolved issue is accountability in AI-driven markets. Kaur raised questions over who should be held responsible when competition concerns arise from automated systems.

She said competition regulators globally are grappling with similar issues, suggesting that India’s experience is not an outlier.

The CCI’s AI market study had earlier underlined the need for flexible enforcement approaches and sustained coordination with other regulators, as data-intensive and algorithm-driven markets continue to reshape competition dynamics.