The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has announced the appointment of three new members to its oversight team, which includes a former official from the commerce ministry and an ex-compliance officer from WhatsApp, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The newly appointed members are Anil Agrawal, a former police officer who recently served in the commerce ministry, playing a key role in various startup initiatives and the establishment of the Open Network For Digital Commerce, the government’s e-commerce platform. Agrawal confirmed his new role to Reuters but opted not to provide further comments.
Joining him are Sweta Kakkad, a legal professional with a background as interim chief compliance officer at WhatsApp, and Deepak Anurag, who previously worked at the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Attempts to reach Kakkad and Anurag for comments were unsuccessful. The federal government was responsible for the finalization of these appointments, sources stated.
Queries sent to the CCI regarding the appointments went unanswered by Reuters.
This development comes amidst ongoing investigations by the CCI into several prominent international corporations for suspected antitrust violations, including Amazon, Walmart’s Flipkart, Google, and the liquor company Pernod Ricard.
The inclusion of senior members is seen as essential for the effective functioning of the CCI. In May, the agency appointed Ravneet Kaur as its chairperson. Kaur has held various significant roles in the government over the past two decades, including a tenure as chairperson of India Tourism Development from 2017 to 2019.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
