Discuss the role of the Competition Commission of India in containing the abuse of dominant position by the Multi-National…

CCI’s Section 4 mandate is to prevent abuse of dominant position, particularly by MNCs with market power. It acts in regulatory, adjudicatory and preventive roles: investigating, imposing penalties, issuing cease-and-desist orders and behavioural remedies. Its preventive role includes awareness, compliance and early detection of anti-competitive conduct in digital and traditional markets. In digital markets, it has targeted exclusive agreements, data leveraging and platform self-preferencing. In Google Android (2022, largely upheld by NCLAT 2023) and Google Play Store (2022, penalty cut by NCLAT 2025), it penalised Android’s app-store lock-in and Play Store’s self-preferencing, totalling over ₹2,274 crore. In the WhatsApp privacy-policy case, CCI fined Meta ₹213 crore in 2024, a penalty NCLAT upheld in 2025 while lifting the data-sharing ban. Amazon–Future Coupons (CCI 2021, NCLAT 2022) shows MNC scrutiny, though under Section 6, not Section 4. The Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023 added a deal-value threshold and settlement and commitment mechanisms. In traditional sectors, CCI has checked predatory pricing and exclusive dealing. Yet cross-border jurisdiction, resource constraints and appellate delays at NCLAT/Supreme Court weaken deterrence. Overall, CCI is effective in flagging digital abuses but needs faster, better-resourced enforcement to contain MNC dominance.