CCI Revises Asian Paints Probe Order

Removes reference to earlier findings in JSW Paints order

- Ruchika Chitravanshi

In a move seen to be unusual, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has revised its order of investigation into Asian Paints' alleged abuse of dominant position in the market.

The order had been in response to a complaint filed by Grasim Industries, which belongs to the Aditya Birla group.

A comparison of the original and the revised orders shows that the CCI had removed the reference to a similar complaint filed by JSW Paints against Asian Paints. In its revised order, the CCI said that it found Asian Paints to be prima facie in a position of dominance in the delineated relevant market, in 2024-25.

In its initial or the original order, the antitrust watchdog had said that "it finds no reason to depart from its earlier finding of dominant position of the OP (opposite party, which is Asian Paints) in the delineated relevant market".