The mechanism of green channel approval was introduced in India on August 13, 2019, aiming to foster ease of doing business by reducing time and cost of transactions. A green channel route is a fast-track mechanism or an automatic system of approval for certain combinations whereby parties receive a deemed approval of the Competition Commission of India (“CCI/Commission”) upon filing of the notice. Under a green channel route, the parties are not required to observe any standstill period or wait for an order of approval of the CCI/Commission. However, not all combinations are eligible for a green channel approval and only certain combinations that meet the specified criteria can avail the benefit of the said route. Since 2019, more than 100 combination notices have been filed under the green channel route. Recently, the already existent criteria for green channel approval have been codified with certain modifications under the Competition (Criteria of Combination) Rules, 2024 (“Green Channel Rules”). The Green Channel Rules have been enforced with effect from September 10, 2024, and discussed later in this article. 

Read the complete article authored by our Partner Aditya Bhardwaj and Senior Associate Rinki Singh here.