India's antitrust tryst with Big Tech: through the looking-glass

Elizabeth Avery Partner and Group Leader – Competition + Regulation , Gilbert + Tobin Elizabeth heads Gilbert + Tobin’s market-leading Competition & Regulation Group. She brings a wealth of experience as a competition/antitrust lawyer in Australia and internationally, contributing significant comparative breadth to her ability to advise strategically on major multi-jurisdictional mergers, litigation and investigations. Her expertise spans a broad range of industries, including financial services, the digital economy, infrastructure, health and life sciences. Elizabeth is recognised as a leading competition lawyer in Australia across all major legal directories.

Dinoo Muthappa is a Partner in the New Delhi office of TT&A and a member of the firm's competition law practice. She advises Indian and foreign clients on competition law matters across various sectors including digital markets, payments, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, healthcare, media, FMCG, glass, etc. She has successfully advised and represented clients in precedent-setting behavioural matters, before the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Appellate Courts, High Courts and the Supreme Court of India. She has also represented clients in leniency applications before the CCI and its investigation arm, the DG Office. She has been extensively involved in Form I and Form II merger control matters with the CCI, including the implementation of divestitures. Dinoo is currently involved in a number of high profile abuse of dominance enforcement cases, including several major investigations into digital markets. She has successfully advised and continues to represent the Match Group in its complaint against Google’s policies in the Play Store market, resulting in the imposition of penalties of over USD 113 million and precedent-setting remedies (awarded GCR’s Behavioural Matter of the Year, 2023). She is also representing a confidential informant in an ongoing investigation concerning digital payments in India. Dinoo has represented the Walmart-owned Flipkart Group in proceedings before the Karnataka High Court. Previously, she has successfully defended Indian corporations against allegations of competition law violations, including Torrent Pharma, Great Eastern Energy Corporation Limited, and NIIT Limited. Her more recent work experience includes advising a consortium of investors (GIP, Meridiam & CDC) on its acquisition of divestment assets emerging out Veolia’s acquisition of Suez SA, representing HSBC on its acquisition of L&T's mutual funds businesses in India and advising on divestitures in Linde AG’s USD 90 billion merger with Praxair Inc. She also represented the Generali Group on its step up to majority acquisitions of Indian insurance joint ventures, including advising on multi-jurisdictional merger control approvals in Serbia, Montenegro, Thailand and Indonesia, apart from India. Dinoo also has regulatory experience of working with the CCI, including serving with the Office of the Chairperson from 2014 to 2017.