CCI FINDS AGRO INPUT DEALERS ASSOCIATION AND AGRO INPUT WELFARE ASSOCIATION GUILTY OF BOYCOTTING ONLINE SALE OF AGRI-INPUTS

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), by its order dated 21 August 2026, held the Agro Input Dealers Association (AIDA), Agro Input Welfare Association (AIWA), and certain office bearers liable for coordinating and implementing a boycott on the online sale of agri-input products.

The proceedings arose from an Information filed by Ulink Agritech Private Limited (Informant), an agri-tech start up engaged in the marketing and trading of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides, nutrients, seeds, sprayers, hardware products and advisory services through online stores, mobile apps, social media, and physical stores.

The Informant alleged that the opposite parties (OPs) had initiated a campaign against online agri-input platforms and were coercing agri-input companies and retailers not to deal with the Informant/online platforms. It was alleged that the OPs had issued letters and circulated messages to restrict online sales of agri-input products and had sought to obtain support from manufacturers and other market participants for the boycott.

The CCI noted that AIDA and AIWA were involved in the boycott campaign, with AIDA acting as the principal platform through which the boycott was initiated and AIWA substantially contributing to its implementation in Gujarat. The CCI noted that by way of the impugned conduct, there was a significant decline in sales and the percentage of repeated transactions along with an increase in closure of number of stores.

Accordingly, the CCI directed the OPs and the individuals found liable to cease and desist from indulging in the contravening conduct. The CCI imposed a penalty of 5% of average income on each of the OPs and individual persons held liable under Section 48 of the Competition Act, 2002 (Act), after taking into account their cooperation with the investigation and the fact that this was their first violation of the Act. The CCI also directed the OPs to organise a competition compliance training programme and submit a compliance report within 60 days.

CCI FINDS TENDER REPRESENTATIVES OF J.K. TYRE AND CEAT GUILTY OF BID-RIGGING

The CCI, by its order dated 21 August 2026, held Rekha Agencies and SS Marketing, the authorised representatives of J.K. Tyre & Industries Limited (J.K. Tyre) and CEAT Limited (CEAT), respectively, liable for coordinating and engaging in bid-rigging in relation to a 2013 Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) tender. The CCI, however, found no contravention by J.K. Tyre or CEAT.

The proceedings arose from a reference filed by the State of Haryana concerning alleged cartelisation in tyre procurement tenders. The allegations included J.K. Tyre emerging as the sole bidder and quoting significantly higher prices in certain Haryana Roadways tenders, as well as alleged coordination between tyre manufacturers in relation to the HRTC tender.

In relation to the HRTC tender, the investigation found that Rekha Agencies shared J.K. Tyre’s bid details with SS Marketing before submission of the bids, following which SS Marketing shared CEAT’s bid details with Rekha Agencies. The bid details exchanged were subsequently found to be identical to the actual bids submitted, up to the second decimal place. The CCI held that the exchange of commercially sensitive bid information prior to submission undermined the independence of the bidding process and distorted competitive conditions.

Accordingly, the CCI found Rekha Agencies and SS Marketing to have acted in a concerted manner amounting to bid-rigging, in contravention of Section 3(3)(d) read with Section 3(1) of the Act. However, the CCI found no evidence establishing a contravention by J.K. Tyre or CEAT.

With respect to the Haryana Roadways tenders, the CCI found no evidence of communication or coordination between J.K. Tyre, CEAT or other tyre manufacturers. It held that the higher prices quoted by J.K. Tyre, in the absence of evidence establishing collusion, could not by themselves establish bid-rigging or a contravention of Section 3.

Accordingly, the CCI imposed penalties of INR 1,29,901/- on Rekha Agencies, INR 2,13,274/- on SS Marketing and INR 6,40,240/- on Shri Vidya Sagar Gadhok, Managing Director of Rekha Agencies. The CCI also directed the concerned parties to cease and desist from the contravening conduct.

CCI APPROVES ADITYA BIRLA GROUP'S ACQUISITION OF ROYAL CHALLENGERS

The CCI by its order, approved the proposed acquisition of 100% of the issued, subscribed and paid-up equity share capital of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (Target), the owner and operator of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise, by a consortium of investors.

The transaction involved: (i) Big Banyan Holdings Pte. Ltd. (Big Banyan); (ii) Bolt IPL Holdings LLC (Bolt); (iii) Times Internet Limited (TIL); (iv) Times Cricket LLP (Times LLP); (v) ICQ Opportunities RC Holdco, Ltd. (ICQ) and (vi) Asia Investment Topco II Pte. Ltd. (Topco) (collectively referred to as “Acquirers”). Big Banyan is a 100% subsidiary of Aelius Investments Pte. Ltd., and forms part of the Aditya Birla Group, which has a presence across various sectors including metals, cement, financial services, fashion and retail, digital services, hospitality, paints and telecom. The proposed combination also included certain investment arrangements undertaken to fund the acquisition.

The CCI assessed the activities of the affiliates of the ultimate controlling persons of the notifying parties against those of RCB and examined potential overlaps and linkages in: (i) digital content publication, (ii) restaurant and merchandise licensing, (iii) sponsorship and advertising services, and (iv) procurement of content production and event management services.

In relation to digital content publication and the licensing of RCB merchandise and the RCB Bar & Café franchise, the CCI noted that certain affiliates of the Acquirers were engaged in similar or related activities. However, having regard to the nature and extent of the Target’s presence in these activities, the CCI found that the proposed combination was not likely to result in any change in competitive dynamics.

With respect to sponsorship and advertising services, the CCI noted the linkage between the advertising activities of Times Internet Limited and sponsorship commitments of certain affiliates of the Aditya Birla group, on the one hand, and the Target’s sponsorship activities, on the other. However, given that the relevant sponsorship revenue commitments were insignificant, the CCI found that the Proposed Combination was unlikely to alter competition in sponsorship or advertising services. 

Similarly, the CCI found no competition concern in relation to content production and event management services, noting in particular the insignificant spend of the Target on event management services.

Accordingly, the CCI concluded that the proposed combination was unlikely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India. The CCI therefore approved the proposed combination under Section 31(1) of the Act.

CCI APPROVES UPGRAD’S ACQUISITION OF UNACADEMY

The CCI by its order, approved the proposed combination involving the acquisition of Sorting Hat Technologies Private Limited (Target), which operates the Unacademy brand, by upGrad Education Private Limited (Acquirer).

The Acquirer is a global provider of non-formal education services through various brands including upGrad, KnowledgeHut, Harappa, and others, while the Target also provides test preparation services, language learning offerings through ‘AirLearn’, course creation software through Graphy, and technology upskilling courses through CodeChef.

For the purpose of competition assessment, the CCI identified horizontal overlaps in the broad ‘market for non-formal education in India’ which could be segmented into test preparation services and upskilling services. However, the combined market share and incremental market share of the Acquirer and Target in all these segments was in the range of 0-5%, with the markets characterized by the presence of several established players including Allen Career Institute, Physicswallah, Aakash Educational Services, Coursera, Udemy, Veranda Learning Solutions, Drishti IAS etc.

Accordingly, the CCI concluded that the proposed combination was unlikely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India. The CCI therefore approved the proposed combination under Section 31(1) of the Act.

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Disclaimer:
The information contained in this document is intended for general information and does not constitute legal advice. Readers are advised to seek specific legal advice on any matters discussed above. The views expressed in this document are personal.