Network of Indian Competition Experts (NICE)

The Network of Indian Competition Experts (NICE) is a platform constituted in 2018 under the aegis of CCI for experts of competition law from the top academic and research institutions of India. The platform facilitates multisided flow of knowledge and information in the field of competition law, economics, and financial analysis amongst participants, benefitting all institutions, including CCI.

NICE, comprising experts from premier academic and research institutes across the country, works as a conduit for regular communication between CCI and the experts, with a view to facilitate exchange of ideas and knowledge-sharing. CCI approaches the pool of academics under NICE from time to time to provide intellectual support for capacity building, including workshops, lectures and policy advocacy.

Cartel Working Group (CWG)

The first Cartel Working Group (CWG) was constituted under the aegis of NICE during 2019-20.  The objective of NICE-CWG is to explore areas relating to anti-cartel enforcement covered under Section 3 of the Act and its impact in the short and long run on the economy. Under NICE-CWG, the members participate in a yearly/annual webinar and present their research papers in order to address challenges/issues faced by competition authorities. The research products and exchange of views amongst members increase awareness about the latest relevant issues relating to the detection and enforcement of anti-cartel mandate in India.

It provides an opportunity to explore various facets of cartels and new and emerging innovative ways of entering into cartels. In this scenario, it is imperative for any competition authority to find newer ways to not only unearth and investigate cartels, but also be aware of the socio-economic impact of regulatory intervention, keeping in mind the present challenging times due to COVID-19.     The idea behind constituting NICE-CWG is precisely to familiarize ourselves with new research as well as present before academia the emerging issues and questions that competition authorities are grappling with.