Page 14 - Competition Commission Of India

Areas like blockchain, algorithmic collusion new challenges: CCI's Kaur

As the CCI chairperson, with the CCI now having a full quorum, my top priority is to address the pending cases related to antitrust and anti-profiteering

Competition Commission of India approves deal involving Manipal Group

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday said it has cleared the proposed deal involving Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd and Manipal Education and Medical Group India Pvt Ltd (MEMG India). Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd (MHEPL) operates a chain of multi-speciality hospitals under the brand name 'Manipal Hospitals', while MEMG India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RSP Trust India and belongs to the Pai family group. In a tweet on Tuesday, CCI said it has approved the "proposed combination involving Manipal Health Enterprises Private Limited and Manipal Education and Medical Group India Private Limited". 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.

CCI approves minority stake acquisition in Lenskart by Dove Investments

Fair-trade regulator CCI has approved the minority stake acquisition in Lenskart Solutions by Dove Investments, Defati Investments Holding BV and Infinity Partners. The proposed combination relates to Dove Investments, Defati Investments Holding BV and Infinity Partners' minority acquisition of certain equity shareholding of Lenskart, a notice filed with the CCI said on Monday. Lenskart Solutions Pvt Ltd (LSPL) is engaged in the business of manufacturing, sale and wholesale trading of eyewear products, while Dove Investments, Defati Investments Holding BV and Infinity Partners are private equity investors. Separately, the regulator has cleared the acquisition of securities of a newly incorporated entity of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd by the World Bank Group arm IFC. The combination pertains to IFC proposing to subscribe to certain compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) of the new unit of Mahindra & Mahindra. In March, Mahindra & Mahindra announced that the World ...

Competition Commission's DG Atul Verma gets three-month extension

The government has extended the tenure of Atul Verma as the Director General of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for three months. The Director General (DG) office is the investigation arm of the fair trade regulator. According to an official order, the competent authority has approved the extension of the deputation of Atul Verma as Director General of CCI for a period of three months beyond May 31. CCI is probing various anti-competitive cases, including those relating to technology companies.

14 years of Competition Commission: Young regulator faces new challenges

It has to scale up its oversight of the digital economy and attune with new digital legislations, writes Dhanendra Kumar

CCI gives nod to proposed merger of Credit Suisse Group with UBS Group

Fair-trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Thursday cleared the proposed merger of Credit Suisse Group AG with UBS Group AG. Both Credit Suisse Group AG (Credit Suisse) and UBS Group AG (UBS) are multinational investment banks and financial services companies founded and based in Switzerland. The transaction entails UBS' proposed acquisition of Credit Suisse by way of an absorption merger with UBS being the surviving legal entity, according to CCI. Post transaction, all Credit Suisse's assets, liabilities, and contracts will be transferred to UBS in their entirety. The proposed transaction has been necessitated due to Credit Suisse's financial difficulties, CCI said. Deals beyond a certain threshold require approval from the regulator, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices in the marketplace.

Google says in compliance with CCI order, pushes ahead with in-app billing

Google on Wednesday said its Google Play's payments policy is compliant with the anti-trust watchdog CCI's order and it is pushing ahead with plans to enforce the policy in the country. "In 2020, we clarified the requirements of our payments policy, and developers in India have had considerable time to make the necessary changes to their apps," it said in a blog post. "We're respectfully following the CCI's October 2022 order, and in compliance with that order, we expanded user choice billing to all developers in India and updated our policy that went into effect starting April 26, 2023." Google said as the deadline of April 26 had now passed, it would be taking "necessary steps" to get developers to implement one of the billing options it offers. Three routes are available for app developers - using Google Play's billing system, an alternative billing system called the user choice billing system alongside Google Play's billing system for users in India and operating on a ...

IAS officer with varied experience: Ravneet Kaur, first woman chief of CCI

The government has appointed Ravneet Kaur as the Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), according to an official order. There has been no full-time Chairperson for the competition regulator since Ashok Kumar Gupta demitted office in October 2022. CCI Member Sangeeta Verma has been acting as the Chairperson since October last year. The appointment of Ravneet Kaur, a 1988 Punjab cadre IAS officer, will be for a period of five years from the date of assuming charge or till the date of attaining the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is the earliest, as per the order dated May 15. The Chairperson will get a consolidated salary of Rs 4,50,000 per month without house and car, it added.

CCI asks Google to share policies on data sharing, in-app billing

Move based on complaints that tech giant failed to comply with directive on third-party billing

Competition Commission gives nod to Edelweiss-Biocon Biologics deal

Fair-trade regulator CCI on Tuesday said it has cleared Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors and ESOF III Investment Fund's subscription to certain compulsorily convertible debentures of Biocon Biologics Ltd. The deal has been cleared under the green channel route. Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors is a Sebi-registered alternative asset advisor, while ESOF III Investment Fund is a Sebi-registered Alternative Investment Fund (AIF). The proposed combination relates to Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors and ESOF III Investment Fund's proposal to subscribe to certain compulsorily convertible debentures issued by Biocon Biologics Ltd (BBL), according to CCI. BBL is a global biosimilar firm, engaged in the manufacturing and commercialisation of pharmaceutical formulations. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said it has approved the proposed deal. "The parties' activities do not exhibit any horizontal, vertical, or complementary overlaps in any of the plausible relevant ...

Supreme Court stays Rs 202 crore penalty on Amazon slapped by CCI

The penalties were imposed in two parts in accordance with separate sections of the law. Rs 200 crore and Rs 2 crore were thus imposed on Amazon

Google pays Rs 1,338 cr penalty to CCI in Android case, ADIF still cautious

The Indian market regulator had imposed the penalty on Google in October 2022 for allegedly exploiting its dominant position in the Android market

Keeping an eye on digital space: CCI chairperson Sangeeta Verma

In August 2019, the commission introduced a 'green channel' route of approval for transactions

CCI has an assertive agenda against cartels: Chief Sangeeta Verma

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), which replaced MRTP to usher in competitive and fair business practices in the country, has an assertive agenda against cartels, its chairperson Sangeeta Verma said on Friday. She said that cartels are bad and a cartelised market does not allow honest business. "The CCI has an assertive agenda against cartels. Cartels are bad for business and do not allow conduct of honest trade", Verma said at an event organised by MCCI here. Verma said the competition law will continue to create necessary safeguards and its enforcement may be supplemented by a suitable legislative framework. According to her, the CCI so far has received 1200 cases regarding abuse of dominance across sectors like airlines, infrastructure, automobiles, real estate and digital space. The commission had already imposed a penalty on Google for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the Android ecosystem. Verma said that the CCI is closely watching the digital space, add

Delhi HC seeks response from CCI, startups' in Google billing policy case

Anti-trust regulator has asked tech giant to not restrict app developers from using third-party billing services

Delhi HC quashes Google's plea over urgent hearing against CCI order

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to grant an urgent hearing to Google on its challenge to a single-judge bench order asking the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to consider a plea of the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) against the tech giant's policy of allowing the use of third-party payment processors for paid app downloads and in-app purchases on a commission basis. The matter was mentioned for an urgent listing by senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, who appeared for Google before a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad. The single-judge bench had, on Monday, asked the anti-trust regulator to consider the plea of the ADIF, an alliance of individuals and an industry representative body of innovative start-ups in the country, on or before April 26. Sethi sought an urgent hearing against the direction and informed the court that the CCI would take up the matter in the afternoon pursuant to the order of the single-judg

CCI clears Berhyanda's 76% stake acquisition in Suven Pharmaceuticals

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Thursday said it has cleared Berhyanda Ltd's acquisition of a 76.10 per cent stake in pharmaceutical firm Suven Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Berhyanda Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berhyanda Midco Ltd, which is an affiliate of Advent International Corporation. The proposed combination relates to the acquisition by Berhyanda Ltd for up to 76.10 per cent of the voting share capital of Suven Pharmaceuticals Ltd, by way of a share purchase agreement dated December 26, 2022, and pursuant to the mandatory open offer in compliance with Sebi's SAST (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) regulations, according to an official release. Suven Pharmaceuticals Ltd is a biopharmaceutical company that offers its services to global pharmaceutical and agrochemical majors. Deals beyond a certain threshold require approval from the regulator, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices in the marketplace.

Notifying changes in competition law may face CCI quorum challenge

Regulator yet to appoint a full-time chairperson, leaving the three-member quorum short of one person

Panel on digital competition law likely to finalise report by May-end

The government-constituted panel on digital competition law has completed stakeholder consultations and is likely to finalise its report by the end of May, according to senior officials. The panel, chaired by Corporate Affairs Secretary Manoj Govil is examining various regulatory aspects in dealing with challenges emerging from the digital economy. It is also looking at the need for an ex-ante regulatory mechanism for digital markets through a separate legislation. The panel members will discuss various aspects as well as the inputs of stakeholders before finalising the report, the officials said on Thursday. They said the consultations with stakeholders have been completed. The panel was set up by the corporate affairs ministry in February, less than two months after a Parliamentary panel proposed having a new digital competition law to curb anti-competitive practices in the digital markets. Competition Commission of India (CCI) Chairperson, representatives from Niti Aayog, ...

Delhi HC judge Pratibha Singh recuses herself from Google Playstore case

Another judge to hear the matter on April 18; case is about Playstore policy requiring all app developers to only use Google Play's billing system to charge customers