New Delhi, Aug. 17 -- In 2012, Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai denied a couple, Manu Jain and Saurabh Kumar, the right to choose their preferred stem cell banker. The couple did not turn to the judiciary or even a consumer court for justice. Instead, they approached the Competition Commission of India (CCI). About a year later, India's fair-trade regulator fined the hospital Rs.3.8 crore for anti-competitive and anti-consumer practices.

The CCI, established in 2009 to rein in the misuse of market power by powerful companies and protect consumer interests, was then the new sheriff in town. Consumers and companies could seek speedy justice against any abuse of dominance by enterprises or exploitation by competitors. The CCI has since ...