INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The antitrust body imposed a penalty of Rs 202 crore on AmazonIn a considerable advancement, the Competitors Commission of India (CCI) on
Friday suspended its more than two-year-old approval for Amazon's offer to obtain stake in Future Coupons Pvt Ltd and also imposed a Rs 202
crore charge on the e-commerce major for certain contraventions.This comes in the middle of a bitter legal fight between Amazon and Future
Group over the latter's proposed Rs 24,713 crore-deal with Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL)
Versus this backdrop, Future Group had complained to the CCI.In a 57-page order, the regulator said the approval for the Amazon-Future
Coupons deal shall remain in abeyance
Pointing out particular conflicts, CCI said those have actually emerged from a purposeful design on the part of Amazon to suppress the real
scope and purpose of the combination and that it finds no mitigating factor.Consequently, fines totalling Rs 2 crore have been troubled
For failure to notify the mix in the requisite terms, the guard dog has also slapped a penalty of Rs 200 crore.The parties associated with
the combination were Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC (Amazon)-- a direct subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc-- and Future Coupons
We are examining the order passed by the Competitors Commission of India, and will choose next actions in due course, an Amazon
representative stated in a statement.While authorizing the handle November 2019, CCI had actually also discussed the order shall stand
revoked if, at any time, the details offered by the acquirer was found to be incorrect
This approval must not be construed as immunity in any way from subsequent proceedings prior to the Commission for infractions of other
provisions of the (Competitors) Act, it had said.On November 29, the Supreme Court provided 2 more weeks' time to Amazon to appear and
argue prior to the CCI which had actually declined adjournment of hearing in a case related to revocation of approval given to the
e-retailer for the handle Future Coupons.In August 2019, Amazon had actually accepted acquire 49 per cent in unlisted Future Coupons, which
owns 7.3 percent equity in listed Future Retail through convertible warrants, with the right to purchase into the flagship Future Retail
after a duration of 3 to 10 years.In August 2020, RRVL said it will get the retail and wholesale business, and the logistics and warehousing
organization of Future Group for Rs 24,713 crore.The scheme of arrangement entails the combination of Future Group's retail and wholesale
possessions into one entity Future Enterprises Ltd and then moving it to Reliance Retail
The deal has actually been objected to by Amazon, an investor in Future Coupons
