Delays in regulatory clearances can lead to uncertainty, disrupt commercial timelines: Sitharaman

21 May 2025 Evaluate

In today’s interconnected and fast-paced global economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that delays in regulatory clearances can lead to uncertainty, disrupt commercial timelines, and potentially erode the intended value of transactions. According to her, it is imperative that regulatory frameworks, while maintaining rigorous oversight, also facilitate swift and seamless approvals for combinations that pose no harm to competition. India is negotiating trade deals with various countries and blocs, including the US and the European Union.

She said the regulator has emerged as a key institution in safeguarding the spirit of liberalisation while checking its excesses and stressed that competition drives efficiency, nurtures innovation, and benefits consumers. Delving into the aspects of competitive markets, she said that not only business conduct but also government policies, laws and regulations should not influence competition as she mentioned that entry barriers, licensing norms or procurement rules can also create distortion.

She stated ‘Globally, it has an impact even as we negotiate free trade agreements with different countries because the ability, the nimbleness and the readiness of regulators is very keenly watched by investors. There is no need for me to underline the importance of that, but that has a very serious connotation when you are looking at fairly within a reasonable time, agreeing on some free trade agreements. So, whether it is litigation, whether it is time consumed in litigation or when regulators are less transparent, negotiations can get complicated.’

While pitching for regulatory frameworks to facilitate swift and seamless approvals for combinations that pose no harm to competition, she also mentioned about the Green Channel mechanism that has been put in place by Competition Commission of India (CCI). She added the mechanism, which is a trust-based, risk-calibrated approach, allows for automated approval of combinations that are deemed to have no appreciable adverse effect on competition in order to reduce transaction costs and timelines for benign mergers and acquisitions.


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