January 06, 2018

Competition News Bulletin - January 2018

We are happy to share the January, 2018  edition of our Competition News Bulletin.

Some highlights of this issue are as under:

• Competition Commission of India (CCI) finds Grasim Industries and others indulging in anti-competitive practices - CCI has found Aditya Birla Chemicals (India) Limited , Grasim Industries Limited  and Gujarat Alkalis and Chemicals Limited  guilty of bid rigging/ collusive bidding and has imposed penalty totaling Rs. 6.27 Crores
• CCI exonerates 9 supplier from bid rigging in railway tenders - CCI has exonerated nine RDSO approved suppliers, including four sister companies, of allegations of bid-rigging in supply of roof mounted ac package unit for AC coaches to the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala , citing insufficient evidence, despite there being instances of identical bidding by the parties
• CCI opens investigation against Star India Pvt. Ltd. for alleged abuse of dominance / price discrimination - CCI has initiated an investigation against Star India Pvt. for alleged violation of Section 4 (2) (a) (ii) of the Competition Act, 2002 following an information filed by a private company engaged in business of Cable television distribution, a Multi System Operator in the state of Kerala
• CCI re-imposes penalty of Rs. 52.24 crores on BCCI for abuse of dominance - CCI  has re-imposed the penalty of INR 52.24 Crores on the Board of Control for Cricket in India after fresh inquiry that concluded in July, 2017. In this recent order, CCI has reiterated all of its findings against BCCI as were found in its earlier order dated 08.02.2013 , which was set aside by the Competition Appellate Tribunal
• Central Govt.  further dilutes competitive neutrality: exempts Oil and Gas PSU’s  from Merger Control by CCI - The Government of India , Ministry of Corporate Affairs,  has exempted all Central Public Sector Enterprises  in the Oil & Gas sectors from the pre- merger scrutiny by the CCI under sections 5 & 6 of the Competition Act,2002 for the period of 5 years .  The benefit of this exemption has also been extended to all wholly or partly owned subsidiaries of such enterprises

The Bulletin, now entered its 9th year of publication and is amongst India’s first comprehensive Newsletters on the subject published by Vaish Associates, Advocates with an aim to supplement CCI’s efforts towards competition advocacy.