The word control had become anathema for us in 1991: Sudha Pillai

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Pillai tells that the CCI could have done more to curb concentration, and social protection should have featured more prominently in the reforms

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Sudha Pillai, joint secretary in the Department of Company Affairs in 1991, was actively involved in amending the MRTP law | Photo: Courtesy Sudha Pillai

Vikram Gopal Veenu Sandhu

9 min read

Last Updated :

Sep 12 2026 | 12:27 AM

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Sudha Pillai was joint secretary in the Department of Company Affairs in 1991, when India liberalised its economy. She wrote the Cabinet note to amend the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act, which was found to have curbed the animal spirits of businesses. Later, she became the finance secretary of Kerala, her parent cadre, and went on to serve as labour secretary at the central level and member secretary of the Planning Commission. In an interview at her residence in New Delhi, Pillai tells Vikram Gopal and Veenu Sandhu the Competition Commission of India (CCI) could have done more to curb concentration, and social protection should have featured more prominently in the reforms. Edited excerpts:

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