This ring was created to allow scrutiny of alleged anti-competitive practices involving Swiggy and Zomato while protecting sensitive commercial information.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and online food delivery company Swiggy, following a petition from the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) challenging its exclusion from a confidentiality ring set up by the CCI.This ring was created to allow scrutiny of alleged anti-competitive practices involving Swiggy and Zomato while protecting sensitive commercial information. Justice Sanjeev Narula scheduled the matter for a hearing on January 21, 2025. The concept of a confidentiality ring is often used in regulatory probes to enable companies under scrutiny to review commercially sensitive information with protections in place.During the hearing, Advocate Abir Roy, representing the NRAI, argued
that the association requires access to confidential documents filed by Swiggy in order to submit objections to the Director General’s (DG) report on the matter. “The DG report has been filed and without access to the confidential documents, we can’t effectively raise our objections,” Roy stated.
However, Swiggy and CCI countered NRAI’s plea, maintaining that it conflicts with confidentiality regulations. Despite this, the CCI counsel agreed to file a formal response to the petition. Roy urged the court to expedite the hearing, noting that the deadline for filing objections was approaching. Nevertheless, the court scheduled the hearing for January 2025.
Earlier Swiggy had filed a petition with the Karnataka High Court, objecting to CCI’s directive that required Swiggy to provide NRAI representatives with access to confidential information. The High Court subsequently remanded the case to the CCI, directing it to reconsider the issue.
Source: The Indian Express
