MAM
CCI to crack the whip harder on anti-competitive cartels
MUMBAI: The investigation into alleged ad pricing collusion between select ad agencies is just one of the proactive initiatives that the competition watch dog the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has been undertaking. Finance and corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha today that 35 cartel cases across various sectors over the past five financial years, up to 13 March 2025, have been under the CCI’s magnifying glass. And this is just a start: with a sharper legal framework and global collaborations, the watchdog is stepping up its efforts to keep markets fair.
She informed the house that the watchdog has inked bilateral and multilateral agreements with competition authorities in Egypt, Mauritius, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Australia, the European Commission, Brics nations and the US Department of Justice. These pacts enable enforcement cooperation, subject to each country’s legal framework and resources.
The Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023, introduced the ‘lesser penalty plus’ (LPP) framework under Section 46, offering incentives for cartel members to turn whistleblowers. The CCI (Lesser Penalty) Regulations, 2024, which replaced the 2009 rules, reward existing applicants who spill the beans on previously unknown cartels.
To widen its net, CCI has also brought in the ‘hub-and-spoke’ mechanism under Section 3(3) of the Competition Act, 2002, ensuring that enterprises or individuals indirectly facilitating cartels are also held accountable.
India has signed 14 free trade agreements (FTAs), some of which contain specific competition clauses to curb anti-competitive practices. CCI also has a dedicated division for market analysis and research, aimed at detecting unfair practices before they spiral.
Enforcement is only part of the game. Over the last five years, CCI has held 1,446 advocacy programmes to educate businesses and policymakers on competition rules. By ramping up market studies and training initiatives, the regulator is working to sustain a fair and thriving business environment.
With cartels under increased scrutiny and tougher penalties in place, competition in India’s markets is only set to heat up.
Brands
Hardik Jhaveri named senior director marketing at Colgate-Palmolive Asean hub
Former Hill’s Pet Nutrition general manager returns to the company to steer marketing for South Asean from Kuala Lumpur
KUALA LUMPUR:Â Hardik Jhaveri has been appointed senior director marketing for the South Asean hub at Colgate-Palmolive, marking a return to the consumer goods major after a three year stint with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. He will be based in Kuala Lumpur and will lead marketing strategy for the region.
Jhaveri joins the role after serving as general manager at Hill’s Pet Nutrition in Taipei, where he led a cross functional team and oversaw the business with full profit and loss responsibility. The role placed him at the helm of operations in Taiwan, managing growth in what he described as a start-up style environment within a global multinational.
Before that, Jhaveri spent over a decade with Colgate-Palmolive across several marketing and innovation roles in Asia. As associate director innovation for Apac excluding China, based in Hong Kong, he led new product development and launches across multiple markets.
His portfolio ranged from developing specialised oral care products such as a diabetes focused toothpaste for the Indian market to launching premium oral care experiences under the Colgate Total brand in Australia. Alongside innovation, he also worked on launch planning, brand strategy and communications for the company’s oral care portfolio.
Earlier in his Colgate-Palmolive journey, Jhaveri held roles including marketing manager innovation, senior brand manager and brand manager. His work spanned urban and rural markets in Mumbai and customer development responsibilities in the Greater Kolkata Area.
Prior to his long association with Colgate-Palmolive, Jhaveri worked as brand officer home care at Unilever, where he helped drive marketing initiatives for the Rin detergent brand, including nationwide relaunch and on ground activation campaigns.
He began his career in advertising with Bates David Enterprise, working on brands such as IDBI Bank, The Leela Hotels and The Times of India.
Jhaveri holds a post graduate programme in management from the Indian School of Business and has also completed a level 4 diploma in wine from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
Announcing the move, Jhaveri said he is excited to begin his new chapter at Colgate-Palmolive’s South Asean hub and thanked colleagues and mentors who supported his journey at Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
