Competition Commission of India dismisses accusations of cartel formation during coal block auctions involving Adani, RP-Sanjiv Goenka, and Vedanta groups.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has dismissed a complaint regarding allegations of cartelisation and bid-rigging during coal block auctions that took place in 2015 and 2023.
The dismissed complaint was filed by an entity named Deepika Vs Calcutta Electricity Supply Corporation and was related to coal block auctions conducted by unspecified major corporate groups. The corporations involved in the dismissed complaint include Adani Enterprises, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, Vedanta, Hindalco, UltraTech, and Jindal Power.
Despite the allegations, the CCI found no prima facie evidence of cartelisation or collusion. The CCI's decision was based on several key points, including the presence of independent and unrelated bidders in the auctions, feedback from the Ministry of Coal indicating no complaints or grievances of cartelisation or bid-rigging, and the informant's failure to provide specific evidence or allegations beyond the Sarisatolli coal mine case.
The CCI bench unanimously held that the evidence and facts did not establish any contravention of Section 3(3) of the Competition Act, 2002, which prohibits cartelisation. Thus, the CCI officially closed the investigation in 2025, clearing all implicated groups of the cartelisation and bid-rigging allegations regarding these coal block auctions.
It is important to note that the dismissed complaint was not successful in proving any illegal activities by the corporations during the coal block auctions in 2015 and 2023, or any violation of competition laws by corporations such as Adani Enterprises and RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group.
[1] Competition Commission of India Press Release, "CCI dismisses complaint alleging cartelisation in coal block auctions," 2025
[2] The Hindu, "CCI dismisses allegations of cartelisation in coal block auctions," 2025
[3] Livemint, "CCI dismisses complaint alleging cartelisation in coal block auctions," 2025
[4] Business Standard, "CCI dismisses complaint alleging cartelisation in coal block auctions," 2025
[1] The CCI's dismissal of the complaint regarding cartelisation in coal block auctions made headlines in various news outlets, including [general-news] like The Hindu, Livemint, Business Standard, and Finance magazines.
[2] Despite the allegations against corporate groups such as Adani Enterprises, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, and others, the CCI's decision not to find any evidence of cartelisation or bid-rigging was covered extensively in business and political news.
