Photo of Dhruv Rajain

Principal Associate in the Competition Practice at the New Delhi office of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. Dhruv advises on the full range of competition matters, including merger control, abuse of dominance and cartel enforcement. He can be reached at dhruv.rajain@cyrilshroff.com

CCI’s Draft (Combinations) Regulations: Key Takeaways

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has published the draft CCI (Combinations) Regulations, 2023 (Draft M&A Regulations) on 5 September 2023 and has invited stakeholder comments, to be submitted by 25 September 2023. The Draft M&A Regulations would replace the current CCI (Procedure in regard to the transactions of business relating to combinations) Regulations, 2011 (Combinations Regulations, 2011).Continue Reading CCI’s Draft (Combinations) Regulations: Key Takeaways

Competition Law

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (“MCA”) has extended the suspension of the 30-day deadline for merger filings

India’s competition regime is mandatory and suspensory. A transaction cannot be completed (in whole or in part) unless the Indian competition regulator grants its approval.Continue Reading Update on Indian Merger Control Regime: The Small Target Exemption and pitfalls around jurisdictional thresholds for merger filings before the CCI

Mahindra Judgment re Appointment of Judicial Member

In a recent judgement, the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi (Delhi HC) clarified that the absence of a judicial member did not preclude the Competition Commission of India (CCI) from performing its adjudicatory function until such time the judicial member was appointed by the Central Government.

On 17 July 2018, the Delhi HC passed this judgement in respect of a writ petition filed before it by Cadd Systems and Services Private Limited (Petitioner). The petition challenged two orders of the CCI for contravention of the law laid down by a division bench of Delhi HC in Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. & Ors. v. Competition Commission of India & Anr. (W.P. (C) 11467/2018 & connected matters) (Mahindra Judgment).
Continue Reading Delhi High Court Clarifies the Scope of Directions Passed in Mahindra Judgment Re Appointment of Judicial Member

Constitutional Validity of Certain provisions of Competition Act

In a landmark decision on 10 April 2019, a division bench of the High Court of Delhi (Delhi HC), pronounced a judgment relating to a batch of petitions filed by car manufacturers, which challenged the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Competition Act, 2002 (Act).

The genesis of the matter arose from the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) findings in what has come to be known as the Auto Parts Case. The complaint alleged that three car manufacturers, M/s. Honda Siel Cars India Ltd, Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd and Fiat India Automobiles Limited, restricted free availability of spare parts in the open market, which caused a denial of market access for independent repairers. This was in addition to other anti-competitive effects including high prices of spare parts and repair and maintenance services for automobiles.
Continue Reading Landmark Decision: Constitutional Validity of Certain Provisions of the Competition Act

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), in its order dated 11 July 2018[1], has awarded a 100 per cent reduction in penalty to leniency applicants Globecast India Private Limited (GI) and Globecast Asia Private Limited (GA) (collectively referred to as Globecast), along with their respective responsible office-bearers. It has also awarded a 30 per cent reduction to Essel Shyam Communication Limited (now Planetcast Media Services Limited) (ESCL) along with their responsible officer bearers, in a cartel case in the broadcasting services industry.

This is the latest and the fourth such order of the CCI granting reduction of penalty to applicant(s) under Section 46 of the Competition Act, 2002 (Act) and the Competition Commission of India (Lesser Penalty) Regulations, 2009 (Leniency Regulations).Continue Reading Fourth Order in Less than Two Years: The CCI’s Leniency Regime Gathers Momentum