IICA Trains IES, ITS Officers on Corporate and Competition Laws

At the commencement of the programme, Shri Sudhaker Shukla highlighted the three critical pillars of Ease of Doing Business—freedom of entry, freedom to operate and freedom to exit.

The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, has organised a Specialised Training Programme on the Companies Act, Competition Law and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) for 21 officers of the Indian Economic Service (IES) and Indian Trade Service (ITS).

The programme is being conducted from 2 to 6 February 2026 at the IICA campus in IMT Manesar, with the objective of enhancing officers’ understanding of corporate regulatory frameworks, governance practices and economic laws relevant to their professional roles.

Focus on Practical Regulatory and Policy Perspectives

The training programme is designed to sensitise officer trainees to key domains including corporate law, competition regulation, corporate finance and insolvency law, while aligning the curriculum with their responsibilities in economic policymaking and regulatory oversight.

Through the programme, participants are being exposed to practical aspects of corporate governance, regulatory decision-making and enforcement mechanisms, strengthening their ability to engage with complex corporate and market issues.

Comprehensive Curriculum Covering Core Economic Laws

The programme offers in-depth coverage of:

• Management and governance of company affairs

• Powers, functions and investigation procedures of the Competition Commission of India (CCI)

• Anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominance

• Economics of regulation and law-making

• Corporate finance, debt and default

• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code as an evolving economic law

• Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP)

• Data-based decision-making and regulatory practices

• Legislative drafting and interpretation

• Roles of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)

Distinguished Experts Lead Training Sessions

The programme brings together an eminent panel of experts from regulatory institutions, academia and legal practice, including:

• Shri Sudhaker Shukla, Former Member, IBBI and Head, Centre for Insolvency and Bankruptcy, IICA

• Shri Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General and CEO, IICA

• Shri Dhanendra Kumar, Former Chairperson, CCI

• Shri G. P. Madaan, Founder, Madaan Law Offices

• Shri Samir Gandhi, Partner, Axiom5 Law Chambers

• Dr M. S. Sahoo, Former Chairperson, IBBI

• Dr Augustine Peter, Former Member, CCI

• Dr Pyla Narayana Rao, Associate Professor, School of Corporate Law and Competition Law, IICA

• Shri G. R. Bhatia, Partner, Luthra & Luthra

• Dr Naveen Sirohi, Associate Professor, School of Finance and Management, IICA

• Dr Debajyoti Ray Chaudhuri, Managing Director, NeSL

• Dr Mukulita Vijayavargiya, Former Whole-Time Member, IBBI

• Ms Pooja Bhary, Insolvency Professional

• Shri Vikram Kumar, Senior Partner, Incorp Advisory

• Shri Alok Srivastava, Former Law Secretary and Former Member, NCLAT

Emphasis on Trust-Based Regulation

The programme was formally inaugurated by Shri Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General and CEO, IICA, who highlighted that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs oversees one of the country’s largest regulatory architectures, including bodies such as IBBI, CCI, NFRA, ICAI, ICSI and CMA.

He underscored the importance of trust-based regulation and encouraged officers to explore specialised themes within corporate affairs as project topics during the programme.

Ease of Doing Business: Entry, Operation and Exit

At the commencement of the programme, Shri Sudhaker Shukla highlighted the three critical pillars of Ease of Doing Business—freedom of entry, freedom to operate and freedom to exit.

He linked these principles to the Companies Act, 2013, the Competition Act, 2002, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, emphasising their role in ensuring corporate sustainability and economic efficiency.

Evolution of Competition Law in India

The inaugural session also featured an address by Shri Dhanendra Kumar, retired IAS officer and the first Chairperson of the CCI, who traced the evolution of India’s competition law framework from the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act to the current modern competition regime.

Drawing from his extensive administrative experience, he shared insights on institution-building and regulatory transformation, making the session highly interactive and thought-provoking.

Linking Law With Real-World Practice

In the technical sessions, Shri G. P. Madaan elaborated on corporate law fundamentals, governance structures and directors’ responsibilities, connecting statutory provisions with real-world corporate practices.

This was followed by a session by Shri Samir Gandhi, a leading competition law expert, who offered a practitioner’s perspective on the development of competition law in India, drawing on his experience as counsel to the CCI and his involvement in landmark antitrust cases.

Programme Conclusion

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Pyla Narayana Rao, Associate Professor, School of Corporate Law and Competition Law, IICA.

The institute said the training reflects IICA’s continued commitment to capacity building of civil servants, equipping them with the legal, economic and regulatory insights required to navigate India’s increasingly complex corporate and market landscape.