Overview

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the need for a balanced regulatory approach that combines oversight with market freedom to ensure fair competition.
• She warned that delays and opacity in regulatory clearances could disrupt business timelines, erode deal value, and complicate ongoing free trade negotiations with the US, EU, and New Zealand.
• The Green Channel mechanism was unveiled to facilitate automated approvals for mergers deemed non-threatening to competition, reducing transaction costs and timelines.
• Sitharaman highlighted emerging risks in digital markets, including AI-related issues, gatekeeper platforms, and cross-border digital monopolies, calling for global cooperation and agile regulation.
• She reiterated that markets must work for the many, driving innovation, efficiency, and consumer welfare, while regulators should adopt a 'minimum necessary, maximum feasible' principle to support economic growth.