New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in a lawsuit filed by Publicis Groupe’s Indian arm, TLG India Pvt Ltd, over access to documents in an ongoing price-fixing probe.
Justice Sachin Datta, in an order dated August 25, directed the CCI to respond within two weeks and produce the prima facie opinion from Suo Motu Case No. 2 of 2024 at the next hearing on October 9.
Publicis moved court on August 11 after the CCI refused to share case files it claims are vital for its defence. The company has also asked the court to quash an August 4 summons to its South Asia chief, Anupriya Acharya, terming it procedurally unfair.
The probe, triggered by Dentsu’s leniency disclosures in February 2024, led to raids in March on Publicis, WPP’s GroupM, Dentsu, and Omnicom. Investigators suspect agencies coordinated publicity rates through WhatsApp groups and secret pacts.
Represented by senior advocate Ritin Rai, Publicis argued that denial of records prevents it from addressing the allegations. The CCI, represented by senior advocate Jayant Mehta, has been granted time to reply.
The investigation also covers industry bodies such as the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) and the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA). If proven guilty, firms face penalties of up to three times profits or 10% of global turnover per year.
As the first court challenge in the CCI’s sweeping inquiry into India’s $30 billion media and entertainment sector, the case is likely to shape norms of due process and transparency in antitrust probes.
