Competition Commission In India And Regulations Governing Cartels

In August 2016, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) levied an immense penalty it has levied to date – a whopping 63.2 billion rupees- in the infamous Cement Cartel case. The origin of the Cement Cartel case was a complaint filed by the Builder's Association of India. The complaint alleged that: employing the Cement Manufacturer's Association (CMA) as a platform, 11 cement manufacturing companies had limited the production and supply and were engaged in fixing the price of cement. The CCI discovered that the cement manufacturing giants had indeed used the CMA as a platform to fix prices, and instantly imposed penalties on the 11 companies. The cement manufacturing companies appeared before the former Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT), and appealed the CCI's decision. The COMPAT, setting aside the CCI's order, remanded the case back to the CCI on the grounds of due process, and violations of the principles of natural justice.

Consequently, the CCI