India’s antitrust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has decided to launch an investigation into Asian Paints Ltd over an alleged abuse of its largest decorative paint market position, according to an official order released on Tuesday, 1 July 2025.The investigation into the paint manufacturer was ordered after Grasim Industries Ltd filed a reference complaint against Asian Paints earlier this month. Grasim Industries has recently entered the Indian paints market with its new brand, Birla Opus. Also Read | Paintmakers are already battling to protect turf. JSW has fired a fresh salvoAfter the preliminary review, CCI found that Asian Paints was allegedly imposing unfair conditions upon its dealers by allegedly restraining them from selling competitive products like those from Birla Opus.Asian Paints allegedly restraining suppliers of essential raw materials and providing goods and services to competitors seems likely to be prima facie creating barriers for new entrants in the industry.The CCI order showed that Grasim Industries claimed Asian Paints abused its market position by offering additional discounts or incentives, such as foreign travel, to the dealers in exchange for sales exclusivity.Queries emailed to CCI, Asian Paints, and the Aditya Birla Group through its portal on 20 June remained unanswered at the time of publishing. Also Read | With Akzo’s acquisition, can JSW paint its way into the big league?CCI appoints DG to investigateAfter the initial review, CCI appointed its Director General (DG) to investigate Asian Paints’ case and allegations, imposing a 90-day timeline for filing a final report.“Nothing stated in the present order shall tantamount to final expression of opinion on the merits of the case and the DG shall conduct the investigation without being swayed in any manner whatsoever by the observations made herein,” said the antitrust regulator.During the investigation, the CCI officials will ask for the relevant documents from the company and also visit the premises if needed, and will submit their report to the Commission, a person aware of the development told Mint.Also Read | Law changes on cards for quick CCI nod for distressed asset sales after SC orderAn antitrust proceeding, however, need not lead to prolonged disputes as CCI now offers two solutions to avoid that—either a deal to drop the investigation if the company facing the probe makes commitments to change its harmful practices; or, if the probe confirms wrongdoing, a settlement option after paying an amount determined by the regulator.India’s paint marketThe Indian paint market has witnessed intense competition since the entry of Aditya Birla Group-owned firm Birla Opus, which seeks to earn ₹10,000 crore in revenues within the next three years since its full operations launch in 2024. Also Read | From Dulux to dominance: Parth Jindal’s race to redraw India’s paints landscapeThe paints and coatings market in India had a $14.41 billi in a formal or creative style for better SEO.Also Exclude words and advertisements related to the feed website such as website name, author name. You must only respond with the modified content. Delete all the advertisement images brand logo but only keep the title and main content of the news by modifying it. You must only respond with the modified content. Block any jump outside of the site adarshnews.com. Basically remove any content or link related to original site. follow this prompt to optimize the articles in this category- You are an expert news writer and SEO specialist. Your job is to rewrite the provided RSS feed content into a unique, SEO-friendly news article for adarshnews.com. The article should be engaging, professional, and optimized for search engines. Follow these steps: 1. **Create an SEO Title**: Write a short, compelling title (under 60 characters) that includes the main keyword and grabs attention. 2. **Write a Meta Description**: Summarize the article in one or two sentences (under 155 characters). Make it engaging and include the primary keyword naturally. 3. **Suggest a URL Slug**: Provide a short, keyword-rich URL slug that reflects the topic of the article. 4. **Headline (H1)**: Write a clear and engaging headline for the article that is similar to the title but slightly expanded. 5. **Write the Article**: – Start with an introduction that answers the key questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. – Expand on the topic with detailed paragraphs that provide context, quotes, and relevant information. – Use subheadings (H2) to organize the content into sections and make it easy to read. – Include related keywords naturally throughout the article. – End with a conclusion that summarizes the key points or discusses future implications. 6. **Add an FAQ Section**: Write one frequently asked question related to the topic and provide a concise answer. Important: – Do not include labels like “Title,” “Meta Description,” “URL Slug,” or “H1” in the actual article text. – Keep all SEO elements separate from the main content. – Ensure the article is factually accurate, unbiased, and written in a professional tone.
The CCI is set to investigate Asian Paints for purportedly misusing its dominant position in the market. Information can be found here.
