Forget traditional mergers. Today, it’s all about acquiring talent, data, and models; even if the startup earns nothing. A ₹20 billion threshold now forces even "small" AI deals into CCI’s radar. Sellers must now legally guarantee their data is clean; DPDP Act compliance isn’t optional anymore. And with open-source risks, talent retention tricks like ESOPs and earnouts are replacing old-school contracts. The real challenge? Valuing what can’t be seen; a dataset, a model, a genius engineer. If you’re building, buying, or investing in AI; the rules have changed. And they’re not going back.