Indigo fiasco has caused the Government to rethink upon the powers of the Competition Commission of India?

The IndiGo disruption has sharpened debate within the government on whether competition law is keeping pace with market concentration in aviation. Senior bureaucrats in the economic ministries and the aviation establishment are learnt to be informally flagging gaps in the Competition Commission of India’s toolkit, arguing that an airline with over 60% domestic market share can convert operational lapses into a systemic shock for consumers and the wider economy. The CCI has already opened a probe into IndiGo’s conduct and pricing behaviour during the cancellations episode, but officials now want faster, more pre-emptive powers, including suo motu intervention, interim directions and sharper penalties when dominance interacts with essential infrastructure-like services. The emerging view is that the current saga should become a test case to hard-wire deterrence, through amendments or stronger regulations before the next disruption hits.