Asian Paints Limited

On July 1, 2025, the Competition Commission of India directed its Director General to investigate Asian Paints Limited after receiving a complaint from Grasim Industries' Birla Paints division. The investigation concerns alleged abuse of dominance in India's decorative-paints market. At the preliminary stage, the Commission said the material before it indicated a prima facie case. The allegations include coercing dealers not to stock competing paint brands or use competitors' tinting machines, applying discounts and incentives on discriminatory terms, imposing supplementary obligations, and discouraging suppliers, warehouse landlords, logistics agents and transporters from working with Birla Opus. The CCI said the alleged practices could foreclose inputs and deny market access to competitors. A direction to investigate under section 26(1) of the Competition Act is not a final finding that Asian Paints violated the law. It means only that the Commission considered the available information sufficient for a formal investigation. Asian Paints remains entitled to contest the allegations, and the Director General's investigation and any later Commission proceedings determine whether a contravention is ultimately established. This evidence is therefore marked unresolved and ongoing. Its title and summary intentionally say that an investigation was opened rather than claiming that Asian Paints committed abuse of dominance. The case should be updated when the CCI publishes a final order or closes the matter. Primary sources — Competition Commission of India: https://www.cci.gov.in/antitrust/orders/details/1193/0 CCI summary of the investigation order: https://cci.gov.in/public/images/publications_fairplay/en/fairplay-vol54-english-version1761820416.pdf