CCI Investigates Ad Agencies for Price Collusion

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has initiated a sweeping investigation into major global advertising agencies, including GroupM, Interpublic, Publicis, and Dentsu, over allegations of price fixing and anti-competitive practices. The raids lasted over 24 hours and targeted multiple locations just before the Indian Premier League, a significant advertising event. Forensic experts are analyzing collected digital data and documents to find evidence of price collusion and ad discount agreements. The investigation also extended to the Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF), representing significant broadcasters like the Reliance-Disney joint venture. Despite the extensive enforcement action, no comments have been provided by the involved companies or CCI officials. The probe may potentially affect ongoing business deals requiring regulatory clearance in India, such as the Omnicom-IPG M&A deal.