India : CCI fines cement companies $944 million for price fixing

MUMBAI : The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a 63.2 billion rupee ($ 944 million) fine on 10 cement companies and a trade body for price fixing, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs said a statement.

The order issued by the anti-trust regulator held the companies and the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) responsible for “acting in concert in fixing prices of cement”.

The companies and the CMA shared details relating to prices, capacity utilisation, production and dispatch which led to restricted production and supplies in the market hurting consumers and the Indian economy, the order said.

Among the companies that received maximum fines were Ambuja Cements Ltd fined 11.6 billion rupees, ACC Ltd was fined 11.5 billion rupees, Ultratech Cement 11.8 billion rupees and Jaiprakash Associates Ltd 13.2 billion rupees.

CCI said interactions between the trade body and the cement companies were not confined to promoting the interest of the industry.

“Such interactions have been found to have transgressed the limits in sharing of information and extended to discussions on cost, prices, production and capacities…,” the CCI order said.

The case was filed by Builders Association of India against the cement companies and CMA alleging collusion to fix prices.