Competition Commission of India defers probe into Jio allegations

NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Friday said it won’t probe charges of cartelisation made by Reliance Jio against Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular till August 7, the next date of hearing on a petition filed by Idea against investigation ordered by the anti-trust body in early May. This is the second time CCI has deferred a probe in the matter.

The status quo continues to be a temporary breather to the top three carriers in the country. CCI has also ordered a probe into the functioning of the Cellular Operators Association of India ( COAI), saying the GSM industry body was prima facie found to be promoting interests of incumbents and allowing it to be used as a platform for preventing Jio’s smooth entry into the sector.