News for 'competition-commission'

HC dismisses FB, WhatsApp pleas against CCI order to probe privacy policy

HC dismisses FB, WhatsApp pleas against CCI order to probe privacy policy

Rediff.com22 Apr 2021

The court said it saw no merit in the petitions of Facebook and WhatsApp to interdict the investigation directed by the Competition Commission of India.

Can't accept Amazon offer until legally viable: Future's ind directors

Can't accept Amazon offer until legally viable: Future's ind directors

Rediff.com24 Jan 2022

Future Retail's independent directors had last week asked Amazon if it was willing to give a long-term loan to avoid default on repayment of Rs 3,500 crore loan due on January 29. Amazon replied to that saying it was willing to financially assist Future Retail through the Samara Capital deal but the retailer must shelve Rs 24,713 crore deal with the Reliance group.

Air India sale: Govt signs share purchase agreement with Tata Sons

Air India sale: Govt signs share purchase agreement with Tata Sons

Rediff.com25 Oct 2021

The government on Monday signed the share purchase agreement with Tata Sons for the sale of national carrier Air India for Rs 18,000 crore. Earlier this month, the government had accepted an offer by Talace Pvt Ltd, a unit of the holding company of the salt-to-software conglomerate, to pay Rs 2,700 crore cash and take over Rs 15,300 crore of the airline's debt. Following that, on October 11 a Letter of Intenet (LoI) was issued to the Tata Group confirming the government's willingness to sell its 100 per cent stake in the airline.

Amazon-Future battle: More skeletons tumble out of closet

Amazon-Future battle: More skeletons tumble out of closet

Rediff.com15 Nov 2021

Future Retail's (FRL's) independent directors have written a second letter to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), stating American e-commerce major Amazon never intended to invest in Future Coupons (FCPL) and the representations made by the US e-commerce player were completely opposite and contradictory to their own internal correspondences as submitted before courts. The directors also wrote to CCI that Amazon has obtained approval by making deliberate misrepresentations. By actively misleading the CCI and the regulator, it has to revoke the approval granted for Amazon's investment in FCPL.

DHFL shares may get delisted post acquisition by Piramal

DHFL shares may get delisted post acquisition by Piramal

Rediff.com7 Jun 2021

Debt-ridden mortgage firm DHFL's shares would be delisted from stock exchanges post acquisition by Piramal Capital and Housing Finance, which has emerged as the successful bidder for the company. As part of resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), lenders led by Union Bank of India in January this year favoured the bid by Piramal Capital and Housing Finance to take over the beleaguered housing finance firm. According to sources, shares of DHFL would be delisted post acquisition as per the IBC guidelines and Sebi delisting norms.

When Jeff Bezos flew a kite in India

When Jeff Bezos flew a kite in India

Rediff.com15 Jan 2020

Posting a 36-second long video on Instagram showing him flying a kite in Delhi, the world's richest man said, 'Any day is a good day when you get to fly a kite' and hash-tagged it #ThankYouIndia.

Walmart-Flipkart deal: All-India trade bandh on Sep 28

Walmart-Flipkart deal: All-India trade bandh on Sep 28

Rediff.com5 Sep 2018

CAIT had last month also filed a petition in National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) against the Competition Commission of India's decision to approve the deal.

Amazon challenges CCI over suspension of 2019 Future deal

Amazon challenges CCI over suspension of 2019 Future deal

Rediff.com10 Jan 2022

Amazon has filed a legal challenge at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) against the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) suspension of the US e-commerce giant's 2019 deal with Future Retail (FRL). Amazon has challenged the CCI order on at least five grounds, and the matter is likely to be listed this week, according to the sources. Parallelly, Amazon's Indian unit has approached the Supreme Court against a halt on an arbitration case against Future Retail's (FRL) asset sale to Reliance Industries (RIL).

CCI orders detailed probe against MakeMyTrip, OYO

CCI orders detailed probe against MakeMyTrip, OYO

Rediff.com24 Feb 2020

This is the second time in less than six months that the fair trade watchdog has called for an investigation against the two entities after finding prima-facie evidence of violation of competition norms.

Amazon-Future case: SC sets aside Delhi HC orders, remands cases back for fresh decision

Amazon-Future case: SC sets aside Delhi HC orders, remands cases back for fresh decision

Rediff.com1 Feb 2022

The Supreme Court Tuesday set aside three Delhi high court orders including the refusal to grant a stay on the final arbitral award which had restrained Future Retail Ltd from going ahead with its Rs 24,731 crore merger deal with Reliance Retail and ordered fresh adjudication. In a major relief to Future group, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana also set aside the high court's order of February 2 last year, by which it had directed Future Retail Ltd (FRL) to maintain status quo in relation to the merger deal. The March 18 order of the high court, upholding the EA's award and imposing a cost of Rs 20 lakh on it as well as its directors, has also been set aside.

PharmEasy buys Medlife, becomes largest e-pharma company

PharmEasy buys Medlife, becomes largest e-pharma company

Rediff.com26 May 2021

PharmEasy has acquired Medlife for an undisclosed amount, the e-pharmacy unicorn said on Tuesday. The deal will make PharmEasy the largest player in the domestic online pharmacy sector, with the combined entity set to serve 2 million customers a month.

Is algorithm-led personalised pricing in e-com harmful?

Is algorithm-led personalised pricing in e-com harmful?

Rediff.com11 Jul 2021

Some regulators are already unleashing their own algorithms to track and understand pricing software of e-commerce companies. While companies collude on pricing, governments are collaborating on curbing online malpractices. The legal liability of an algorithmic decision will be interpreted as legal liability of an entity of an individual. Anti-trust activities of algorithms will not go unchallenged in any economy.

Future Retail moves SC to avert defaulter tag

Future Retail moves SC to avert defaulter tag

Rediff.com25 Jan 2022

Embattled retailer Future Retail Ltd (FRL) on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court to avert insolvency proceedings over missing a loan repayment deadline, even as its independent directors rejected an Amazon-supported offer to sell the company businesses at less than a third of what Mukesh Ambani's Reliance is offering. India's second-largest retailer, which operates multi-brand retail chains such as Big Bazaar, Easyday and Heritage, failed to pay Rs 3,494.56 crore to lenders by the due date of December-end and sought a 30-day grace period to resolve the situation. Unable to find money, it moved the apex court seeking to restrain its lenders from declaring the company a defaulter, which can invite initiation of insolvency proceedings.

FRL independent directors threaten to 'expose' Amazon

FRL independent directors threaten to 'expose' Amazon

Rediff.com11 Nov 2021

Independent directors of Future Retail Ltd are collating information and will expose the details of contradiction and misrepresentation made by Amazon before the Competition Commission of India (CCI), said FRL independent director Ravindra Dhariwal. Speaking to PTI, Dhariwal said the independent directors are "collating" all the pieces of information together, going "deeper into each and every representation" which Amazon had made before the CCI and showing how its "intent was totally contradictory." "We are going out to point exactly to CCI, this is what they have told you and this is what the internal documents are saying. "We are going to expose the details of contradiction and details of misrepresentation, which they have made," Dhariwal said adding "We are going to show the true face of Amazon to the whole world". In November 2019, Amazon had acquired a 49 per cent stake in Future Coupons Pvt Ltd (FCPL), a company that holds a stake in FRL.

PayU buys BillDesk for $4.7 bn in one of largest Indian fintech deals

PayU buys BillDesk for $4.7 bn in one of largest Indian fintech deals

Rediff.com1 Sep 2021

Prosus-backed fintech firm PayU is set to acquire India's earliest payment gateway BillDesk in an all-cash transaction of $4.7 billion. This will be the largest acquisition in India's digital payments space. The deal will also give exit to investors General Atlantic, TA Associates, Temasek, Clearstone Ventures, and Visa. The proposed acquisition will help PayU, the payments and fintech business of Prosus which operates in more than 20 markets, become one of the leading online payment providers globally by total payment volume (TPV).

Future-RIL deal: HC junks FRL plea, seeks Amazon's response

Future-RIL deal: HC junks FRL plea, seeks Amazon's response

Rediff.com29 Oct 2021

The Delhi high court on Friday declined Future Group's plea for stay on an arbitration tribunal order refusing to interfere with the Emergency Award (EA) which restrained it from going ahead with the Rs 24,731 crore merger deal with Reliance Retail. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait sought response from US-based e-commerce giant Amazon which had challenged the merger before the Singapore arbitration tribunal under SIAC, and listed the appeals by Future Coupons Pvt Ltd (FCPL) and Future Retail Ltd (FRL) for further hearing on January 4. Senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for FRL, urged the court to pass an interim order clarifying that an earlier order passed by the Supreme Court - which stayed all proceedings in relation to the enforcement of the EA - would remain in force despite the subsequent order passed by the duly constituted arbitration tribunal.

Amazon gets show-cause notice from CCI

Amazon gets show-cause notice from CCI

Rediff.com22 Jul 2021

Amazon on Thursday said it has received a show-cause notice from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) based on a complaint filed by Future Group, with which the e-commerce major is locked in a legal battle. The American company and Future Group - one of the biggest retail companies in the country - have been engaged in a bitter tussle after the latter entered into a Rs 24,713 crore deal with Reliance Industries for its retail, logistics and warehousing assets. "We are in receipt of a show-cause notice from the CCI based on the complaint filed by Future as a part of an ongoing dispute.

Amazon-Future tussle gets murkier

Amazon-Future tussle gets murkier

Rediff.com26 Nov 2020

Kishore Biyani-led Future Retail Ltd on Thursday accused e-commerce giant Amazon of adopting a media strategy of "having every development reported and converted into a line of communication with stock exchanges" regarding the Amazon-Future Coupons' arbitration proceedings in Singapore. The Court of Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) had turned down a plea of Future Retail Ltd (FRL) to be excluded from being a party to arbitration. In a regulatory filing disclosing the development, FRL said,"...this disclosure is being made out of abundant caution to avoid any speculation given Amazon's media strategy of having every development reported and converted into a line of communication with stock exchanges."

Flipkart, Amazon's business practices to be probed

Flipkart, Amazon's business practices to be probed

Rediff.com13 Jan 2020

The order follows a complaint filed by Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh which accused the e-commerce firms of anti-competitive practices like preferential listing, exclusive tie-ups and private labels.

Probe ordered against Volleyball Federation of India

Probe ordered against Volleyball Federation of India

Rediff.com20 Aug 2019

The probe follows a complaint by Sharavan Yadav, Amitsinh Tanwar and Lavmeet Katariya -- international volleyball players who have represented India in numerous tournaments, according to an order by the Competition Commission of India.

High Covid toll sounds death knell for cement industry

High Covid toll sounds death knell for cement industry

Rediff.com15 Jun 2021

With the increased death rate in the ongoing second wave of Covid-19, domestic cement companies are in no better condition than they were in the April-June quarter of FY21 when the country faced nationwide lockdown. "This wave has had high death rate which has impacted the business. "We are in no better situation than last (year) April. "Deaths of drivers, dealers, contractors and also employees have hit the industry really very hard since April (FY22)," M Ravinder Reddy, director of Bharathi Cements said.

Piramal Group's resolution plan for beleaguered DHFL gets NCLT nod

Piramal Group's resolution plan for beleaguered DHFL gets NCLT nod

Rediff.com8 Jun 2021

The Mumbai Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Monday approved Piramal Group's resolution plan for the beleaguered Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL), which has been reeling from the insolvency process since 2019. The plan put forward by Piramal Group, which has offered to pay Rs 37,250 crore, has been approved by the committee of creditors (CoC), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

Walmart may now be dragged to court over Flipkart buy

Walmart may now be dragged to court over Flipkart buy

Rediff.com3 Jul 2018

In two months, as many as 25 complaints have been sent to Enforcement Directorate, Competition Commission of India, Reserve Bank of India and income tax department, beside various state agencies, to thwart the deal.

CCI investigating patent spat with Micromax: Ericsson

CCI investigating patent spat with Micromax: Ericsson

Rediff.com28 Nov 2013

The Competition Commission of India will launch an investigation of Ericsson in regard to a patent dispute with Indian firm Micromax, Ericsson said.

Amazon to end JV with Murthy's Catamaran Ventures from May 2022

Amazon to end JV with Murthy's Catamaran Ventures from May 2022

Rediff.com10 Aug 2021

E-commerce giant Amazon and Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy's Catamaran Ventures have "mutually decided" to not continue their joint venture (JV) beyond the end of its current term. The JV, Prione Business Services, which has been running successfully for the past seven years, was coming up for renewal on May 19, 2022. The JV enabled over 300,000 sellers and entrepreneurs to go online. It also enabled 4 million merchants with digital payment capabilities, providing these small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and merchants access to millions of customers across the country.

Some business practices of Google under lens

Some business practices of Google under lens

Rediff.com26 Apr 2013

CCI had initiated investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices by Google.

CII hails easier competition norms by govt

CII hails easier competition norms by govt

Rediff.com9 Apr 2013

The CII also hailed the exemption from seeking prior or post acquisition permission from CCI when an entity already holding 25 per cent or more stake in a company acquires up to 5 per cent additional stake in a financial year if its total stake does not cross 50 per cent.

Should Big Tech be broken up?

Should Big Tech be broken up?

Rediff.com16 Aug 2020

Are the big five using their dominance to shut out rivals? That is the key question, says Prosenjit Datta.

Goyal now backtracks: Amazon statement misconstrued

Goyal now backtracks: Amazon statement misconstrued

Rediff.com17 Jan 2020

"Some people think I said something negative against Amazon. If you look at the context of my statement, I said investment should come within the law and regulations. This process is followed across the world," the minister told reporters in Ahmedabad when asked to comment on his statement.

CCI orders probe into WhatsApp's new privacy policy

CCI orders probe into WhatsApp's new privacy policy

Rediff.com25 Mar 2021

Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Wednesday ordered a detailed probe into popular messaging platform WhatsApp's updated privacy policy and terms of service after finding that the 'exploitative and exclusionary conduct' in the garb of the policy update prima facie violated competition norms.

BCCI slapped Rs 52cr fine for unfair trade practices

BCCI slapped Rs 52cr fine for unfair trade practices

Rediff.com8 Feb 2013

Fair trade regulator Competition Commission said held that the Board of Control for Cricket in India indulged in anti-competitive practices and slapped a penalty of Rs 52.24 crore on it.

Unhappy BCCI to appeal against hefty CCI penalty

Unhappy BCCI to appeal against hefty CCI penalty

Rediff.com8 Feb 2013

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is "very unhappy" with Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India's decision to impose a hefty penalty of Rs 52.24 crore for indulging in anti-competitive practices and is planning to seek legal recourse in this regard.

Google to seek CCI nod for Rs 33,737-cr Jio Platform deal

Google to seek CCI nod for Rs 33,737-cr Jio Platform deal

Rediff.com22 Jul 2020

The partnership will also see the two parties cooperate on technology initiatives, including development of affordable smartphones.

L&T's bid to buy Mindtree stake gets CCI nod

L&T's bid to buy Mindtree stake gets CCI nod

Rediff.com5 Apr 2019

L&T has acquired Cafe Coffee Day-owner V G Siddhartha's 20.32 per cent stake in Mindtree and has also placed an order with brokers to pick up another 15 per cent shares from the open market.

Did Asian Paints use strong-arm tactics to bar JSW from entering the markets?

Did Asian Paints use strong-arm tactics to bar JSW from entering the markets?

Rediff.com16 Jan 2020

JSW had moved competition watchdog alleging Asian Paints threatened various dealers from dealing with the company.

HC refuses to stay CCI notice to FB, WhatsApp in privacy policy

HC refuses to stay CCI notice to FB, WhatsApp in privacy policy

Rediff.com23 Jun 2021

WhatsApp and Facebook had challenged the CCI's March 24 order directing a probe into the new privacy policy.

Explained: WhatsApp's New Privacy Policy

Explained: WhatsApp's New Privacy Policy

Rediff.com24 May 2021

A WhatsApp spokesperson said the update 'does not impact the privacy of personal messages for anyone'.

The many battles that Amazon is fighting in India

The many battles that Amazon is fighting in India

Rediff.com8 Jul 2021

Among all the geographies where Amazon is fighting regulators, India is the only place where its lines are also tangled in a major corporate battle, this one with India's largest company by market capitalisation over the acquisition of Mumbai-based Future Group's retail chain, the country's second largest. No other corporate entity in any country offers a challenge to Amazon's hegemony in a way Reliance Industries does - and the final hearing of an arbitration case filed at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre between the two may decide at least some of these issues. This legal battle between one of the world's most powerful corporations and one of India's most powerful conglomerates could be complicated by a host of other developments.

Lakshmi Vilas Bank comes under Sebi scanner for 'insider trading'

Lakshmi Vilas Bank comes under Sebi scanner for 'insider trading'

Rediff.com10 Dec 2020

LVB had faced some serious flak in terms of bad loans, earnings and credit rating downgrades, since 2016.

M&A rules to be finalised in May: MCA

M&A rules to be finalised in May: MCA

Rediff.com21 Apr 2011

"The notification will be finalised in the first week of May and would be implemented from June 1, 2011," Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs D K Mittal told reporters on the sidelines of a FICCI event in New Delhi.