Call for Abstracts | 1st ILNU Antitrust Paper Presentation by Nirma University: Submit by Feb 10

About the Organisation

Established in 2007 under the visionary leadership of Dr. Karsanbhai K. Patel, the Institute of Law, Nirma University (ILNU) is a premier institution dedicated to advancing legal education and scholarship in India. The Institute strives to align legal education with international standards while fostering intellectual rigour, innovation, and professional excellence, grounded in the values of justice and ethical practice.

Consistently ranked among the leading law schools in the country, ILNU has been awarded an A+ accreditation by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The Institute maintains strong academic and professional collaborations with universities, institutions, and legal practitioners worldwide and offers a robust academic environment supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure, an extensive library, and access to leading national and international legal databases.

About the Call for Papers

The Institute of Law, Nirma University is pleased to announce the 1st Edition of the ILNU Antitrust Paper Presentation, being organised as part of the XV Edition of the ILNU Antitrust Moot & Conference, scheduled to be held on 28 February 2026. This initiative aims to promote scholarly engagement and informed discourse on contemporary developments and emerging challenges in the field of competition law.

The Call for Papers invites students, researchers, and academicians to submit original extended abstracts that critically examine antitrust law and policy. The Paper Presentation session is designed to encourage rigorous legal analysis, interdisciplinary perspectives, and meaningful academic dialogue on pressing competition law issues. The session will be conducted following the Pre-Moot Conference and concurrently with the Moot Court Competition. Selected participants will be afforded the opportunity to present their research before a panel comprising eminent academicians, legal practitioners, and subject-matter experts. Each presentation will be followed by interactive discussions, enabling participants to receive constructive feedback and refine their scholarly work.

Through this initiative, the Paper Presentation seeks to provide a dedicated platform for emerging scholars to engage with experts, enhance their research capabilities, and contribute substantively to the evolving discourse in competition law.

Who Can Submit

The Paper presentation session is open to Students, Research Scholars, and Academicians. Cross-institutional co-authorship is permitted.

Themes and Sub-Themes

(These themes are indicative; authors may submit abstracts on other relevant topics as well.)

Core Principles of Competition Law and Enforcement

• Ex-Ante vs Ex-Post Regulation: Scope, limits, and institutional competence
• Rule of Reason vs Per Se Rule: Evidentiary standards and judicial trends
• Horizontal Agreements, Cartelisation, and Facilitating Practices
• Information Exchange and Hub-and-Spoke Arrangements
• Anti-Poaching Agreements and Labour Market Collusion
• Exploitative vs Exclusionary Abuses of Dominance
• Predatory Pricing, Limit Pricing, Margin Squeeze, Tying and Bundling
• Compliance Programmes, Risk Management, and Corporate Governance
• Settlements, Commitments, and Alternative Enforcement Mechanisms
• Market Studies, Advocacy, and Soft Law Instruments

Merger Control, Acquisitions, And Structural Competition

• Effectiveness of the CCI in Merger Control
• Killer Acquisitions and Nascent Competitor Takeovers
• Exemptions from Merger Notification: De Minimis and Sectoral Carve-Outs
• Remedies in Merger Control: Structural vs Behavioural
• Cross-Border Mergers and Jurisdictional Challenges
• Merger Control in Developing and Emerging Economies
• Acquisition Strategy and Competition Law Risk

Consumers, Market Fairness, And Behavioural Competition

• Misleading Advertising and Consumer Deception
• Price Discrimination and Differential Pricing
• Loyalty Discounts, Switching Costs, and Consumer Lock-In
• Greenwashing and Sustainability Claims
• Behavioural Targeting, Data Exploitation, and Manipulation

Digital Markets, Platforms, And Data-Driven Power

• Ex-Ante Digital Competition Regulation
• Self-Preferencing, Bias, and Platform Neutrality
• Data Monetisation and Exclusive Data Arrangements
• Ecosystem Lock-In and Switching Barriers
• Data Portability, Interoperability, and Access Remedies
• Digital Advertising Markets and Platform Ecosystems
• Cloud Computing Market Concentration

Artificial Intelligence And Algorithmic Competition

• Algorithmic Collusion and Proof of Agreement
• Conscious Parallelism vs Collusion in Algorithmic Markets
• AI Training Data as a Source of Market Power
• Model Monopolisation and Data Hoarding
• Dark Patterns and Algorithm-Induced Consumer Harm
• Cross-Border Regulation of AI Systems

Intellectual Property Rights and Competition Law

• IP-Driven Market Power and Abuse of Dominance
• Standard-Essential Patents, FRAND Commitments, and Competition Law
• Technology Transfer and Licensing Agreements
• R&D Cooperation, Joint Ventures, and Cross-Licensing
• Fair Use and Fair Dealing as Pro-Competitive Limitations
• Killer Acquisitions and Innovation Foreclosure
• IP-Based Network Effects and Lock-In

Sector Specific Competition Law Challenges

• Competition Law in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
• Patent Cliffs, Generic Entry, and Drug Pricing
• Hospital Consolidation and Vertical Integration
• Antitrust in Financial Services and FinTech
• Competition Law in Public Utilities and Infrastructure
• Competition Issues in Crypto, Space, and Emerging Industries

Gig Economy, Labour, And Two-Sided Markets

• Two-Sided Markets, Network Effects, and Tipping
• Exclusive Service Agreements and Single-Homing
• Collective Bargaining and Cartel Exemptions for Workers
• Competition Law and the Sharing Economy
• Cross-Border Trade And Global Antitrust Enforcement
• Extraterritorial Jurisdiction and Enforcement
• Leniency Programmes and Cross-Border Cartel Investigations
• Remedies and Compliance Across Jurisdictions
• Competition Law in Emerging Economies
• WTO, State Action, and Antitrust Immunities
• Commodity Cartels and State-Backed Market Power

Competition Policy, Advocacy, And Sustainable Markets

• Competition Law and Sustainable Development Goals
• Public Procurement and Buyer Power
• Supply Chains and Competition Risks
• Competition Advocacy and Regulatory Interface

How to Submit?

Click Here to Submit.

Submission Guidelines

• Submissions are invited in the form of extended abstracts for consideration.
• Only original and unpublished work is permitted. Submissions must not be under consideration for publication or presentation elsewhere.
• Co-authorship is permitted, subject to a maximum of two authors per submission, unless otherwise specified by the organizers.
• All submissions must be made electronically in the given Google form within the stipulated deadline.

• Selection Process
  • Extended Abstract Review: All submissions shall first be evaluated on the basis of their extended abstracts 16 (sixteen) abstracts shall be shortlisted based on merit. 
  • Submission & Presentation: Shortlisted authors shall receive a formal go-ahead to submit the presentation based on their extended abstracts. The authors shall then be eligible to attend the XV ILNU Antitrust Pre-Moot Conference scheduled to be held on February 27, 2026.
• Word Limit of the Extended Abstract: 1000 – 1,200 words
  • The abstract must clearly outline:
  • Research problem and objectives
  • Central thesis or argument
  • Literature Review & Methodology adopted
  • Tentative structure of the paper
  • Expected contribution to legal scholarship
• Formatting and Style Guidelines 
  • Font: Times New Roman 
  • Font Size: Main text: 12 Footnotes: 10
  • Line Spacing: Main text: 1.5 
  • Footnotes: Single-spaced 
  • Alignment: Justified 
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides 
  • Headings and sub-headings should be clearly differentiated and consistently formatted, in the following manner: 
  • Heading level 1 (Title of the Paper) – Times New Roman, Size 16, Centre Aligned, Small Caps, Bold 
  • Heading level 2 – Times New Roman, Size 14, centre aligned, small caps, bold (roman numeral precedes -I, II,III…) 
  • Heading level 3 – Times New Roman, Size 12, justified aligned, small caps, no bold (alphabetical numbering in parenthesis precedes – (a), (b), (c)…) 
  • Heading level 4 – Times New Roman, Size 12, justified aligned, Italicised (Normal numeric numbering precedes- 1, 2, 3…
• Citations and Referencing
  • All submissions must strictly adhere to the OSCOLA, 4^th edition citation format.
  • Footnotes should be used for all references. Endnotes are not permitted. Speaking and substantive footnotes are encouraged.
  • Authors are responsible for ensuring accuracy and uniformity in citations.
  • Plagiarism in any form shall lead to immediate disqualification. A similarity index exceeding acceptable academic standards (SI more than 10%) may result in rejection.

Registration and Submission Charges

The payment shall only be accepted through Bank Transfer. The following are the Bank Account details:

• Bank Name: The Kalupur Commercial Cooperative Bank Ltd.
• Account Name: INSTITUTE OF LAW, NIRMA UNIVERSITY
• Account Number: 09720180147
• IFSC Code: KCCB0NRM097
• Account Type: Current Account
• Branch: Nirma University

Initial Registration Payment

• Only ILNU Students: Single authorship: INR 299/, Co-authorship: INR 549
• For others: Single authorship: INR 499/, Co-authorship: INR 949/

The top 16 extended abstracts selected shall further pay a fee of INR 599/- for being eligible to present their papers.

Awards for Best Paper and First Runners-Up

• Selected participants will be granted an internship opportunity at Axiom5 and the International Research Internships like Competition and Innovation Lab.
• Certificate of Merit and Participation shall be issued to eligible participants.

Important Dates

Contact Details

• Please feel free to reach out on [email protected]
• Ms. Riddhi Mundada +91 9579810105

The brochure is here.