India: Telecoms Regulator, CCI fights for its rights of jurisdiction in Supreme Court

India’s telecom regulator and its antitrust watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) are locked in a showdown in the Supreme Court, with both laying claim to jurisdictional rights on anticompetitive issues related to telecoms.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) filed an application of intervention before the apex court last week, saying it has “exclusive jurisdiction” on the sector, a claim contested by CCI on Tuesday, February 20. The fair trade regulator argued that it was well within its powers to investigate anticompetitive abuses of dominance.

The quarreling regulators risk worsening the disruption in India’s telecom sector, where newcomer company Jio has stoked a price war since its entry, hurting profits at even the biggest operators while smaller ones have chosen to exit or merge. In the midst of this, Ambani’s telecom unit has emerged as India’s fourth-largest carrier and reported its first-ever quarterly profit within 16 months of starting operations.

Full Content: Livemint

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