MDPI 2023: India Ranks 57th on Competere Distortions Index
Why in the news
A policy group called the Competere Foundation published a study in July 2026 reviewing how far India has cut market-distorting practices between 2010 and 2023.
Key facts
- Report: India’s Next Growth Frontier, on reducing Anti-Competitive Market Distortions (ACMDs).
- Publisher: Competere Foundation for Trade and Competition Policy, an independent advocacy group.
- Index used: Market Distortions Performance Index (MDPI), the Foundation’s own measure.
- Rank: 82nd (2010) to 57th (2023), up 25 places; India counts among the strongest structural reformers studied.
About ACMDs
An ACMD is any state action, rule or private practice that warps competition and misallocates resources; ordinary firm misconduct is left to competition law.
| Pillar | Examples of distortion |
|---|---|
| Property rights | Poor contract enforcement, unclear land titles, weak IP protection, slow insolvency cases |
| Domestic competition | Public monopolies, licensing hurdles, favoured firms, murky procurement, price controls |
| International competition | Tariff and non-tariff barriers, FDI caps in sectors, restrictive standards, localisation demands |
Reform drivers and advice
- Drivers: GST, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, trade facilitation (ICEGATE, SWIFT, Direct Port Delivery) and regulatory improvements.
- Advice: a consumer-welfare, evidence-based competition policy, mainly for digital and emerging sectors.
- Advice: review sector-wise investment limits and cooperate with like-minded countries on regulatory barriers.
Exam angle
- Index: MDPI – rank 57 in 2023.
- Three pillars: property rights, domestic competition, international competition.
- Trade facilitation names to recall: ICEGATE, SWIFT, DPD.
- Releasing body: Competere Foundation, not a government agency.