Page 9 - Competition Commission Of India

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

Experts caution overlap in DIB legislation, fear regulatory overreach

In order to remove any confusion, industry experts want the government to step in and create a sync between various legislations

Historic changes coming in law with Parliament's nod to Competition Bill

The amendments are expected to improve ease of doing business, attune India's competition law regime with global trends

Parliament clears amendments to competition law without any discussion

Parliament on Monday cleared the amendments to the competition law that will pave the way for promoting the ease of doing business as well as enhance the framework to deter entities from indulging in unfair business practices. Reduction of CCI's assessment time frame for combinations to 150 days from the date of filing the notice, introduction of a settlement and commitments framework and imposition of penalties on erring entities based on their global turnover are among the key features of the Competition (Amendment) Bill. The bill has been approved by Parliament nearly eight months after its introduction in Lok Sabha, which gave its nod on March 29. The bill was also referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, which tabled its report in Parliament on December 13 last year. Rajya Sabha approved the bill on Monday after Lok Sabha cleared the same on March 29. Amid din, both the Houses passed the bill without any discussion. Corporate Affairs and Finance Minister ...

CCI approves demerger of FMCG biz of Haldiram Snacks and Haldiram Foods

The existing shareholders of Haldiram Snacks and Haldiram Foods have acquired a 56% and a 44% stake, respectively, in Haldiram Snacks Food

Competition Bill with host of changes passed in Lok Sabha amid uproar

Changes include working of penalty on global turnover of companies; bill has introduced a deal value threshold to enable CCI to review transactions depending upon their value

Google relieved after partial victory in Android antitrust case in India

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in October that Google had exploited its dominant position in Android and told it to remove restrictions imposed on device makers