Competition Commission explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
The Competition Commission of India (General) Regulations, 2024 (No. 08 of 2024) are the Commission's general procedure rules: how an information or reference is filed and scrutinised, how a prima facie opinion, investigation and inquiry proceed, how confidentiality is handled, and what fees are payable. They were notified on 17 September 2024 and, as printed, came into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. Later amendments should be checked.
There are 57 regulations and an Annexure (seal and emblem). The Commission is to record its prima facie opinion within 60 days where possible; the Director General's report ordinarily takes no more than 90 days; objections to the report are invited within eight weeks. Confidentiality is claimed by affidavit, with a Confidentiality Ring for access. The fee for an information under Section 19(1)(a) runs from rupees 6,000 to rupees 6,00,000, as notified in 2024. Regulation 57 repeals the 2009 General Regulations.
What the regulations cover
As per the consolidated text of the Act published by the Competition Commission of India (amendments shown up to the Finance Act, 2017), read with the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023 as published in the Gazette of India on 11 April 2023, Section 64 lets the Commission make regulations. The General Regulations, 2024 are made "in exercise of the powers conferred by section 64" and apply across the Act's procedure: information and reference under Section 19, the inquiry under Section 26, references between authorities under Sections 21 and 21A, appearance and procedure under Sections 35 and 36, advocacy references under Section 49, and disclosure under Section 57. The 2023 change applies from the date notified for that provision; the notification is not in the sources consulted and should be checked.
If you are preparing an information or responding to one, our legal dispute resolution team can help with the filing and the confidentiality claims. For the general picture see how to file a CCI complaint and appearing before the CCI.
Structure, regulation by regulation
| Regulation | Subject | Key periods and amounts, as printed |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 | Short title and commencement; definitions | "Working Day" excludes Saturday, Sunday and public holidays; "Tribunal" is the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal |
| 3 | Power to determine procedure where the regulations are silent | Reasons to be recorded in writing |
| 4 | Seal and emblem | As in the Annexure |
| 5, 6, 7 | Language; filing in Hindi; translation | English; Hindi allowed with true translation |
| 8 | Holidays | Saturday, Sunday and holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 |
| 9 | Computation of time | Excludes the day of the event; a closed last day moves to the next working day |
| 10 | Contents of information or reference | After three years from the cause of action, an interlocutory application seeking condonation of delay with fee |
| 11 | Signing | By the person or authorised signatory; a reference by an officer not below Joint Secretary level |
| 12 | Filing | "Paper Book" within 14 days of filing |
| 13, 14 | Electronic filing; further submissions | By public notice; digital or electronic signature |
| 15 | Powers and functions of the Secretary | Custody of records; nodal officer; complaint to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Delhi on direction |
| 16 | Scrutiny | Defects communicated within 15 days for a Section 19(1)(b) information or reference, or 7 days for a reference under Section 21 or 49; to be removed within 30 days or 15 days respectively; applications scrutinised in 7 days |
| 17 | Prima facie opinion | As far as possible within 60 days; first ordinary meeting within 15 days |
| 18 | Preliminary conference | Need not follow formal rules |
| 19, 20 | Direction to investigate; communication of closure orders | Within 7 days |
| 21 | Investigation by the Director General | Report ordinarily not beyond 90 days; supplementary report ordinarily not later than 60 days |
| 22 | Procedure for inquiry under Section 26 | Placed within four weeks; objections within eight weeks; show-cause notice before final order |
| 23 | Mode of service | Personal, e-mail, registered post, courier, affixing, advertisement; 30 days for lost acknowledgement |
| 24 to 29 | Filings; joining or substituting parties; permission to take part; striking out; joinder of information; amendment | Certified copies of documents sought, within 10 days |
| 30, 31 | Submissions; proceeding in absence of a party | Order may be recalled if prevented by reasons beyond control |
| 32, 33 | Interim and final orders | Final order, as far as possible, within 180 days of an interim order; within 21 working days of final arguments; copy served within four weeks |
| 34, 35 | References to and by the Commission | 10 days' notice; 7 days to comment; 15 days for additional information; 60 days for the statutory authority's opinion |
| 36 | Confidentiality | See below |
| 37 | Compliance of orders | Affidavit of compliance |
| 38 | Inspection and certified copies | Subject to Section 57 and regulation 36; no internal documents |
| 39, 40 | Death or insolvency of a party; effect of non-compliance | Proceedings do not abate; no invalidation unless miscarriage of justice |
| 41 to 45 | Taking of evidence; affidavit; additional evidence; calling for information; commissions for witnesses | - |
| 46, 47 | Authorised representative; Advocate accompanying a person summoned by the Director General | - |
| 48 | Proceedings not open to the public | - |
| 49 | Penalty procedure | Show-cause notice giving not less than 15 days |
| 50, 51 | Fee under Section 19(1)(a); inspection and copying fees | See below |
| 52, 53 | Special counsel; experts of eminence | - |
| 54 | Implementation and monitoring of orders | Agencies independent of the parties |
| 55 | Publication | Orders under listed sections on the website |
| 56 | Removal of difficulty | Decision binding |
| 57 | Repeal and savings | 2009 General Regulations repealed |
| Annexure | Seal and emblem | - |
Filing and scrutiny
Regulation 10 requires the information to state, in sequence, the name and address of the informant and of the counsel, the enterprises alleged to have contravened the Act, a statement of facts with chronology, details of the alleged contraventions with a list of documents, the date the cause of action arose, relief sought and other pending proceedings, supported by an affidavit. If filed after three years from the cause of action, it must come with an application for condonation of delay. Documents the informant relies on follow as a Paper Book within 14 (fourteen) days (regulation 12(2)). The Secretary scrutinises each information or reference; regulation 16 fixes a period for communicating defects of 15 days for an information or reference under Section 19(1)(b) and 7 days for a reference under Section 21 or Section 49(1), and a period for removing them of 30 days and 15 days respectively. If defects are not removed, the information, reference or connected application is treated as invalid and, for an information, the fee stands forfeited (regulation 16(3) and (4)).
Prima facie opinion, investigation and inquiry
The Commission shall, as far as possible, record its prima facie opinion within 60 days in cases of alleged anti-competitive agreements or abuse of dominance, and hold its first ordinary meeting within 15 days of placement (regulation 17). A direction to investigate is conveyed to the Director General within 7 days and is deemed to be the commencement of an inquiry under Section 26 (regulation 19). The Director General's report is ordinarily due within 90 days, with extensions on reasons (regulation 21). On receipt, the Secretary places it before the Commission within four weeks; the Commission may forward the non-confidential version for objections within 8 weeks, and may direct parties to file financial information in accordance with the Turnover or Income Regulations and the Penalty Guidelines (regulation 22). See Turnover or Income and Penalty Guidelines.
Confidentiality (regulation 36)
An informant's identity is kept confidential on written request, with disclosure only where necessary or expedient after giving the informant an opportunity. A party seeking confidentiality must set out cogent reasons, self-certify that publication would disclose trade secrets or diminish commercial value or cause serious injury, and confirm that the information is not public, is known only to limited persons, is protected by adequate measures and cannot be acquired by others, all by affidavit. A full version marked in red and a non-confidential version are filed. The Commission may set up a Confidentiality Ring of authorised representatives for access to unredacted material; a request after receiving the non-confidential report must be made within 10 days, with a further 7 days on sufficient cause; undertakings are due within 10 days of the order, with a further 5 days; inspection applications within 7 days, inspection within 21 days, and certified copies supplied within 14 days. The informant is not part of the ring unless the Commission decides otherwise. This sits alongside Section 57 of the Act.
Fees, as notified in 2024
| Item (regulation) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Information under Section 19(1)(a) (50(1)) | Rs. 6,000 (individual or HUF); Rs. 12,000 (NGO, consumer association, co-operative society or trust); Rs. 50,000 (firm or company, turnover up to rupees two crore); Rs. 1,25,000 (turnover above rupees two crore and up to rupees 50 crore); Rs. 6,00,000 (other cases) |
| Interlocutory Application (50(2)) | Rs. 500; Rs. 1,000; Rs. 1,000; Rs. 5,000 in other cases |
| Miscellaneous Application (50(3)) | Rs. 3,000; Rs. 6,000; Rs. 25,000; Rs. 60,000; Rs. 3,00,000 |
| Inspection (51(1)) | Rs. 2,500 per day per case |
| Certified copies (51(2)) | Rs. 20 per page |
Regulation 50(4) says the fee may be increased or decreased on the basis of the annual notification of the Cost Inflation Index by the Central Board of Direct Taxes by an order of the Commission; check for any such order.
Repeal of the 2009 regulations and the amendment regulations
Regulation 57 repeals the Competition Commission of India (General) Regulations, 2009 from the date these regulations come into force, saves things done under them, and provides that any reference to them is deemed a reference to the corresponding provisions of these regulations. The Settlement, Commitment and Lesser Penalty Regulations quote the 2009 numbers (for example regulations 35, 37 and 50); the numbers are not mapped here. For those instruments see Settlement, Commitment and Lesser Penalty. Separately, the Competition Commission of India (General) Amendment Regulations, 2024, notified on 10th May, 2024, are 23 amending regulations all aimed at the 2009 General Regulations (mainly their regulation 35 on confidentiality); they amend the repealed text and are background only.
Need help with a filing or a confidentiality claim?
A defective information is invalid and the fee is forfeited, and a weak confidentiality claim can lose protection. Our legal dispute resolution team can prepare the information, the affidavits and the redacted versions.
Key takeaways
- 57 regulations and an Annexure, notified on 17 September 2024; check later amendments.
- Prima facie opinion within 60 days where possible; Director General's report ordinarily within 90 days; objections within 8 weeks.
- Confidentiality needs reasons and an affidavit; a Confidentiality Ring gives access to unredacted material.
- Fees as notified in 2024 for information, applications, inspection and copies.
- The 2009 General Regulations are repealed by regulation 57.
Read next
- Section 19: inquiry on information or reference and the three-year limit
- Section 26: procedure for inquiry
- Sections 57 to 59: confidentiality, public servants and good faith
- Notice, forms, fees and timelines under the Combinations Regulations, 2024
Disclaimer: Based on the consolidated text of the Competition Act, 2002 published by the Competition Commission of India (amendments shown up to the Finance Act, 2017), read with the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023 as published in the Gazette of India on 11 April 2023, and on the regulations and guidelines of the Commission as notified in 2024, as consulted on 2 October 2026. Commencement notifications, notified thresholds, rules and later amendments should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.