Policy — New Digital Competition Bill to impose ex-ante rules on major tech firms

India is advancing a new Digital Competition Bill that will introduce ex-ante regulations for large digital companies, aiming to curb anti-competitive behavior before it occurs. The legislation will define 'Systemically Significant Digital Enterprises' (SSDEs) based on thresholds like a turnover of over Rs 4,000 crore in India or a global turnover exceeding $30 billion. The move is expected to primarily impact global Big Tech firms by restricting practices such as self-preferencing and tying services.