India’s Fast Approaching Data Driven Antitrust Reckoning

Abstract

As India’s traditional and digital economy increasingly converge, it will be incumbent upon relevant authorities to foresee and anticipate the newer contours of competition and market power given the unique characteristics of data driven industries. Given the economic dominance of large technology and internet companies in providing search, marketing, content, social networking, and business infrastructural services, it becomes important to analyse the limiting effect such power can have on economic and social sustainability. This essay attempts to find commonalities between antitrust cases brought against technology companies and outline the emerging issues and policy challenges within an increasingly data driven business landscape. Working towards objectives of economic sustainability and fairness it concludes by offering potential recommendations for the same after critically evaluating existing approaches.