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The Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 27, rejected JioStar’s plea seeking to restrain the Competition Commission of India (CCI) from investigating allegations of abuse of dominant position in Kerala’s television distribution market. The Court ruled that investigation into the matter was necessary and allowed the CCI to continue its investigation.
The Reliance Industries-owned entertainment unit approached the top court on December 3 challenging the Kerala High Court order, which also rejected JioStar’s plea.
The dispute began when Asianet Digital Network Limited, a major cable distributor in Kerala, filed a complaint alleging that JioStar had engaged in discriminatory and preferential pricing practices, particularly favoring Kerala Communicators Cable Limited through marketing and promotional discounts.
The complaint argued that these practices put other distributors at a disadvantage and violated the principles of fair competition in the market.
However, JioStar argued that the operations of broadcasters are exclusively regulated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which controls pricing and licensing. The company argued that the CCI had no jurisdiction to investigate its business practices and sought judicial intervention to stop the investigation.
Previous Kerala HC judgments
In May 2025, a single-judge bench ruled that the CCI could investigate possible abuse of dominance even in a regulated sector. A subsequent division bench in December 2025 reiterated the same position, ordering the CCI to complete its investigation within eight weeks.
The High Court emphasized that TRAI’s regulatory role does not prevent the CCI from assessing anti-competitive behavior or dominant market position.
If the CCI investigation finds JioStar guilty of abusing its dominant position, the company may face penalties or remedial measures under the Competition Act.
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