By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
Manesar: The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) organised a specialised training programme on the Companies Act, Competition Law and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) for officers of the Indian Economic Service (IES) and Indian Trade Service (ITS) from February 2 to 6, 2026, at its campus in IMT Manesar. Twenty-one officers participated in the intensive week-long programme.
The programme was designed to strengthen officers’ understanding of corporate regulatory frameworks, governance practices and contemporary policy issues relevant to their professional roles. It aimed to provide practical exposure to corporate affairs governance while enhancing regulatory, analytical and policy perspectives.
Participants were trained on a wide range of themes, including management of company affairs; powers and investigation procedures of the Competition Commission of India (CCI); economics and law-making; IBC as an evolving economic law; corporate finance; debt and default; anti-competitive agreements; abuse of dominance; data-based decision-making; drafting and legislative intent; the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP); regulatory governance; and the roles of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Recent policy amendments and experiences in policy planning were also discussed.
The programme featured a distinguished panel of experts from regulatory bodies, academia and professional practice, including former chairpersons and members of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) and the CCI, senior legal practitioners, insolvency professionals and faculty members of IICA.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Shri Sudhaker Shukla, Former Member, IBBI and Head, Centre for Insolvency and Bankruptcy, IICA, who highlighted freedom of entry, freedom to operate and freedom to exit as key pillars of Ease of Doing Business, linking them to the Companies Act, Competition Act and IBC.
The inaugural address was delivered by Shri Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General and CEO, IICA, who underscored the growing importance of corporate law, competition law and insolvency frameworks in India’s economic ecosystem. He highlighted trust-based regulation, the role of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in overseeing major regulatory institutions, and key features of the Union Budget 2026, including initiatives for MSMEs and the “Corporate Mitra” scheme.
Shri Dhanendra Kumar, former Secretary to the Government of India and first Chairperson of the CCI, traced the evolution of India’s competition law framework from the MRTP Act to the present regime, sharing insights on institution-building and regulatory development.
The technical sessions covered corporate law fundamentals, governance and directors’ responsibilities, as well as the evolution and enforcement of competition law, drawing on real-world regulatory and litigation experiences.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Pyla Narayana Rao, Associate Professor, School of Corporate Law and Competition Law, IICA. IICA stated that such initiatives reaffirm its commitment to capacity building of civil servants and strengthening India’s corporate governance ecosystem.
