Zomato will “promptly comply” with any recommendations by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the Gurgaon-based company said in a regulatory filing, responding to queries by the exchanges on developments around food delivery platforms being found to be allegedly violating antitrust provisions.
“We will continue to work closely with the commission (CCI) to explain why all our practices are in compliance with the Competition Act and that they do not have any adverse effect on competition in India,” the company said.
In a separate statement, Bengaluru-based Swiggy said it is yet to receive confidential details of the findings from the CCI. “Once Swiggy submits its response and CCI conducts a hearing on the matter, CCI will pass its decision on whether any competition law violations have occurred. Currently, it’s at a preliminary stage and no final decision or order has been issued regarding Swiggy’s practices since 2022. Swiggy is fully cooperating with the investigation and is committed to complying with the extant laws of the country,” it said.
ET reported on November 8 that an investigation by the CCI has revealed that food delivery firms Zomato and Swiggy violated antitrust norms by getting into “exclusive arrangements” with restaurant partners.
Both firms were accused of forcing their restaurant partners to maintain price parity and, in some cases, asking them not to offer lower prices on rival platforms.
The investigation had followed an April 2022 order by the CCI that prima facie saw antitrust violations leading the body to order a detailed probe. The action was based on complaints raised by the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI).
