Page 12 - Cci

SC to hear Google's plea against CCI fine of Rs 1,337.76 crore on April 30

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Google and Addl Solicitor-General Venkatraman appearing for CCI said it will take both sides 4 days to argue the case as there are new points to be raised

Madras HC dismisses appeals by tech firms against Google billing policy

Tech companies raised concerns over Google's new service fee, which ranged between 11-26% for using third-party billing systems

CCI approves proposed amalgamation involving Shriram Group entities

Fair trade regulator CCI on Tuesday cleared the proposed combination involving the merger of various entities of the Shriram Group. The proposed combination relates to the amalgamation of Shriram GI Holdings Pvt Ltd with Shriram General Insurance Company Ltd. Shriram General Insurance Company is a joint venture between Shriram Capital and Sanlam Ltd (South Africa). It is an Irdai-licensed company, offering a wide range of general insurance solutions. "CCI approves the proposed amalgamation of Shriram GI Holdings Private Limited with Shriram General Insurance Company Limited," the regulator said in a post on social media platform X. The competition watchdog also granted its approval to the proposal for the merger of Shriram LI Holdings Pvt Ltd with Shriram Life Insurance Company Ltd. Shriram Life Insurance Company is jointly promoted by Shriram Group and South Africa-based financial services firm Sanlam Group. The Shriram Group is one of the largest and well-respected financial ..

CCI okays Manipal Health Enterprises stake sale to Abu Dhabi investment arm

Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday cleared Seventy Second Investment Company's proposed stake acquisition in Manipal Health Enterprises. The deal has been approved under the green channel route. Manipal Health Enterprises operates a network of hospitals providing multi-specialty care. It has a presence through 27 hospitals in 14 cities in the country. The combination relates to Seventy Second Investment Company proposal to acquire an equity stake in Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd, CCI said. Seventy Second Investment Company is an investment entity, wholly-owned by the investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi and is incorporated in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. "The activities of the parties (including their affiliates) do not exhibit any horizontal, vertical, or complementary overlaps in any of the plausible relevant markets," the competition watchdog said in its notice. Therefore, the proposed combination is being

Govt probes DHL, FedEx, UPS for alleged collusion on discounts & tariffs

Competition Commission of India (CCI) has begun reviewing hundreds of thousands of emails as it investigates the fees companies charged for airport services

CCI clears Punjab State Power Corp's purchase of GVK Power project

The Competition Commission of India on Tuesday cleared Punjab State Power Corporation's proposed acquisition of GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) Ltd. GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GVK Energy Ltd, which in turn is the subsidiary of GVK Power and Infrastructure Ltd. The combination involves the acquisition of 100 per cent stakeholding of GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) Ltd by Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL). "CCI approves the proposed acquisition of 100 per cent shareholding of GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) Limited by Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd," the fair trade regulator said in a post on X. In July last year, PSPCL had filed a bid to take over the 540 MW Goindwal thermal power plant in Tarn Taran after corporate insolvency proceedings were initiated against its owner GVK Power. Deals beyond a certain threshold require approval from the regulator, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices as well as promotes fair competition in the marketplace.

Differential pricing of iron ore likely to create competition concerns: CCI

The differential pricing of iron ore is likely to create competition concerns and exports of iron ore should also be discouraged, according to a study by fair trade regulator CCI. In its market study on 'Dynamics of Competition in the Mining Sector in India With A Focus On Iron Ore', the watchdog has also flagged possible issues with pricing of iron ore from captive mines. "The allocation of captive mines to some players creates entry barriers in the iron ore and steel sector as entry and successful operation becomes costly for new firms," the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in a release. As per the study, the differential pricing of iron ore for different end users is likely to create competition concerns. The amendments in mining law in 2021 have allowed the captive mines to sell up to 50 per cent of surplus iron ore in the open market which is likely to boost the supply of iron ore in the market, the study said. However, it noted that when a captive mine sells its ..

CCI clears stake acquisition in RCap by IIHL, IIHL BFSI (I) Ltd, Aasia

Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India on Wednesday said it has cleared the proposed stake acquisition in Reliance Capital by IndusInd International Holdings Ltd, IIHL BFSI (India) Ltd, and Aasia Enterprises. Reliance Capital Ltd (RCL) is an RBI-registered non-banking, non-deposit-taking systemically important company (NBFC-CIC-ND-SI). It is engaged in the financial service sector. The combination relates to the acquisition of a controlling stake in Reliance Capital Ltd by IndusInd International Holdings Ltd, IIHL BFSI (India) Ltd, and Aasia Enterprises. Post the completion of the transaction, IndusInd Bank, along with other entities, will have a controlling stake in Reliance Capital. "Commission approves the proposed acquisition of the control/stake in Reliance Capital Limited by IndusInd International Holdings Limited, IIHL BFSI (India) Limited, and Aasia Enterprises," CCI said in a post on X. In July, Hinduja group-owned IndusInd International Holdings (IIHL), th

PCBL Ltd receive CCI approval for Aquapharm Chemicals acquisition

Anti-trust regulator CCI has approved speciality chemicals major PCBL Ltd's proposed acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in Aquapharm Chemicals, according to a notice. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has granted its approval to the deal under the green channel route. Under the green channel route, a transaction that does not raise any risk of an appreciable adverse effect on competition is deemed to be approved on being intimated to the fair-trade regulator. PCBL Ltd is engaged in the manufacturing and sale of carbon black, and green power generation. The transaction relates to PCBL's proposal to acquire 100 per cent equity share capital of Aquapharm Chemicals from the existing shareholders of the company i.e., (members of Desai Group and Mangwani Group), CCI said. After the completion of the transaction, Aquapharm Chemicals will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of PCBL Ltd. Aquapharm Chemicals Pvt Ltd (ACPL) is a Pune-based speciality chemicals company engaged in manufactu

CCI clears Alpha Alternatives Group stake purchase in Dilip Buildcon

Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) has granted an approval to Alpha Alternatives Group for the acquisition of a 10 per cent stake in Dilip Buildcon, according to a notice. The CCI cleared the deal under the green channel route. The transaction involves the acquisition of 9.99 per cent of the equity stake in DBL by way of subscription to warrants by Alpha Alternatives Holdings Pvt Ltd (AAHPL), and its other entities, the CCI said in the notice on Friday. The commission has also approved the acquisition of 26 per cent equity shareholding and investment in certain non-convertible debentures (NCDs) in DBL's Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) by AAHPL along with its affiliates. The SPVs operate Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) projects (constructed and under-construction projects) engaged in the road infrastructure sector in India. AAHPL is a multi-asset class asset management firm that raises capital and manages investments on behalf of its clients. In November, engine

Ansuman Pattnaik to replace Atul Verma as CCI's new head of investigations

Pattnaik has 28 years of experience working in various positions in the Indian government. He also worked at the CCI during 2014-2019 in its investigations unit and was head of the unit briefly

Disney-Reliance merger may be beset with antitrust headaches: Experts

One key area of regulatory scrutiny for a Disney-Reliance merger would be their streaming businesses and their power over advertising during cricket

Billing system case: Google withdraws appeal against Delhi HC order

The CCI said it has no objection to the withdrawal

CCI clears Mirae Group's minority stake buy in Shadowfax Technologies

Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday cleared Mirae Group entities' acquisition of a minority stake in Shadowfax Technogies. The Mirae Group entities undertake venture investments and are ultimately directly or indirectly controlled by the global investment manager Mirae Group. "The commission approves the proposed acquisition of minority stake in Shadowfax Technologies Private Limited by the Mirae Group Entities," according to a post by CCI on social media platform X on Tuesday. Shadowfax Technologies provides logistics services, and third party (3P) logistics services in the country. The deals beyond a certain threshold require approval from the regulator, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices as well as promotes fair competition in the marketplace.

Renault, Nissan get CCI nod for rebalancing of existing cross-shareholdings

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Thursday said it has approved the deal involving the re-balancing of the existing cross-shareholdings between Renault and Nissan. Renault and Nissan are engaged in the sale of passenger vehicles and automotive parts through their wholly-owned subsidiaries Renault India Pvt Ltd (RIPL) and Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd (NMIPL). The combination relates to the re-balancing of the existing cross-shareholdings between Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co Ltd and certain changes to the shareholding of two of their joint ventures in India, Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd and Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India Pvt Ltd, according to an official release. As part of the rebalancing effort, Nissan, through Nissan Finance Co Ltd, will retain its 15 per cent stake in Renault. Meanwhile, Renault will transfer 28.4 per cent of Nissan shares into a trust estate administered by a trustee governed by French law. Renault will continue to ...

CCI becomes member of International Competition Network's steering group

Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Wednesday said it has become a member of the steering group of the International Competition Network (ICN). The ICN comprises 140 competition agencies from 130 countries. "CCI joins the prestigious Steering group of International Competition Network (ICN) as a member at the ICN Annual Conference 2023 at Barcelona, Spain after consistent efforts. "ICN consists of 140 competition agencies and is guided by its apex body -- Steering Group of 18 members," according to a post by CCI on social media platform X. An official said this is the first time that the CCI has become a member of the ICN's steering group and the membership is for two years. The ICN provides competition authorities with a specialised yet informal venue for maintaining regular contacts and addressing practical competition concerns, according to its website.

What are NCLT and NCLAT? Why has the Supreme Court accused them of 'rot'?

The NCLT and NCLAT are quasi-judicial bodies that hear cases related to Indian companies and came in for criticism from the Supreme Court on Wednesday

CCI seeks inputs on draft to offer incentives to cos for info on cartels

Competition Commission has sought stakeholders' comments on draft leniency plus regulations that will offer incentives to companies already under probe for cartelisation for providing information about other cartels. As incentives, the entity giving information could get an additional reduction in monetary fine could be as much as 30 per cent with regard to the first cartel besides a reduction in penalty of up to 100 per cent in respect of newly disclosed cartels. The framework is designed to create an additional incentive for companies to cooperate with antitrust authorities in identifying and addressing cartel activities, ultimately promoting fair competition. The Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023 has introduced 'lesser penalty plus' and withdrawal of 'lesser penalty'/'lesser penalty plus' applications in the existing framework, to incentivise an existing LP applicant in respect of the first cartel to give full, true and vital disclosures about a second cartel unknown to the ...

CCI approves merger of IDFC Ltd with its subsidiary IDFC FIRST Bank

Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday approved the merger of IDFC Ltd with IDFC FIRST Bank. IDFC FIRST Bank is in the business of providing banking services, while its parent IDFC Ltd (IDFCL) is an RBI-registered non-banking financial company. The deal is subject to conditions, including the merger of IDFC Financial Holding into IDFC Ltd in the first step and subsequently, the amalgamation of IDFCL with IDFC FIRST Bank. Further, CCI also approved the cancellation of the existing shares held by IDFC Financial Holding in IDFC FIRST Bank and then the issue of new shares of the bank to IDFCL's shareholders. IDFC Financial Holding is a non-operative financial holding company registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The Competition Commission said it has approved the deal under the green channel route. "There are no horizontal overlaps or vertical/complementary linkages between the business activities of the parties in the country. "Given the a

CCI brings draft Leniency Plus rules for cartels, invites comments

The Leniency Plus regime was introduced in the new Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023, although several provisions of the Act are yet to be notified