I think this practice area is already bleeding talent – you really don't want to be here. People with years of experience are pivoting out of this; even full-fledged teams are pivoting out of this area. The practice area is likely to become increasingly irrelevant as the economic basis for its existence vanishes as trade relations change permanently.

The growth in teams is minimal, with the practice already top-heavy relative to the number of clients requiring assistance, plus top-heavy with some of the most notorious folks within Indian legal circles. Plus, most companies have realised ways and means to circumvent the CCI, and most corporate teams in law firms are now eating the merger control pie with the aid of AI.

The practice area relies way too much on copycat activities from abroad, and that has actually hurt the CCI. India's old economy needs attention just like the digital economy. Another external factor is the fact the EU is abandoning the administrative scaffolding that the CCI modelled itself around and is pushing for more "industrial policy", which is India's default setup anyway, and India is reverting to it.

Finally, take a good look at the regulator; it's practically dead as we speak without the coram required. Now, the selection committee process with the EC selection committee issues will be even more prolonged. This isn't without precedent either. It was like this a few years ago. This start-stop, staggered way of functioning will not augur well for a well-functioning fair trade regulator. So don't do it.

You need a competition regulator only if there is any competition in the market. Our industrial policy has been to enable consolidation in all sectors of the economy in the hopes of building national champions. All of us can see how that is working out.

So, yes. Unless our industrial policy changes, no hope for competition law. It is anyways a lame duck.