New EU-like antitrust law in India, fresh challenges for tech companies

India's proposed antitrust law, akin to the EU's regulations, is poised to present a fresh regulatory hurdle for tech giants such as Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon.

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The Indian government is currently evaluating a panel's February report proposing a "Digital Competition Bill" to complement existing antitrust legislation, drawing concern from a key US lobby group over its potential business impact.

The proposed law targets "systemically significant digital" companies with a domestic turnover exceeding $480 million or a global turnover surpassing $30 billion, alongside a local user base of at least 10 million for their digital services. This would encompass tech giants like Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon, pending parliamentary approval.

India's push for new antitrust legislation stems from the observation that the digital market is increasingly concentrated, with a few major players wielding significant control. The panel contends that this concentration creates an imbalance in bargaining power, wherein smaller digital firms and startups become reliant on larger companies for their operations.