Landmark verdict rewrites India's antitrust rulebook: Schott Glass cleared in decade-long battle

In a stunning legal victory that has sent shockwaves through corporate boardrooms and regulatory halls, a monumental antitrust saga has reached its climax.

- DR. ANKIT SRIVASTAVA & PANKAJ CHHUTTANI

The verdict in the Schott Glass India Pvt. Ltd. vs. Competition Commission of India case has not only exonerated the glass manufacturer but has fundamentally rewritten the rules of engagement for competition law in India. The ruling delivers a powerful message: success is not a crime, and competition on merits is to be celebrated, not punished.

This landmark decision, which draws a line under a grueling 15-year legal war, establishes a new, rigorous, and globally-aligned standard for proving anti-competitive behavior. It forces a paradigm shift from suspicion of dominance to evidence of harm, offering a major win for businesses and a clear, challenging directive for regulators.

The Glass War: A Battle Over What Constitutes Fair Play

The dispute began in 2010 when Kapoor Glass Private Limited, a manufacturer of pharmaceutical containers, filed a complaint against Schott Glass India (a subsidiary of the German glass giant Schott AG). The accusation: abusing its dominant position in the market for neutral borosilicate glass tubing, a critical component for pharmaceutical packaging.

Kapoor Glass alleged a litany of predatory tactics:

• Exclusionary Volume-Based Discounts: Claiming Schott's rebates, tied to purchase targets, were designed to lock customers into exclusive deals and foreclose the market to competitors.

• Discriminatory & Predatory Pricing: Asserting that Schott offered preferential terms to its own joint venture, Schott Kaisha, and priced products below cost to kill competition.