India’s Draft Digital Competition Bill remains pending as the government conducts a market study to inform key elements of the framework, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs said. The study, initiated after a Request for Proposal was floated on November 3, 2025, aims to finalize thresholds for Systemically Significant Digital Enterprises (SSDEs) and define Core Digital Services covered by the Bill, according to medianama.com.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs adopted an evidence-based and adaptive approach after reviewing stakeholder comments. The market study will assess both quantitative thresholds, such as financial and user metrics for SSDE identification, and qualitative aspects related to Core Digital Services. It will also evaluate the Bill’s potential impact on competition, innovation, market entry, startups, and MSMEs. The Ministry issued replies to the Parliamentary Committee through Office Memoranda in November 2025 and January 2026.
This study is critical as India seeks to establish an ex-ante regulatory framework for digital markets, balancing competition concerns with innovation and market growth. The Bill targets large digital platforms deemed systemically significant, similar to regulatory efforts in other jurisdictions. The government’s approach reflects caution in setting thresholds and service definitions to avoid unintended consequences for startups and smaller enterprises.
The market study findings will guide the finalization of the Digital Competition Bill’s framework. The RFP deadline was January 5, 2026, but the government has not yet released the study results, leaving the Bill’s enactment timeline uncertain, medianama.com reported.