Publicis takes CCI to court in price-fixing probe
Publicis, a major global ad agency, has taken India's Competition Commission (CCI) to court for refusing to share documents in a big price-fixing investigation.
Since March 2024, CCI has been probing Publicis, WPP's GroupM, Dentsu, and Omnicom over claims they secretly teamed up—using WhatsApp—to set publicity rates and discounts.
Publicis says not having the case records leaves its team in the dark about the accusations and unable to defend themselves.
Publicis is also challenging CCI's summons
On August 11, 2024, Publicis's Indian arm (TLG India) asked the Delhi High Court to order CCI to show them the files after earlier requests were ignored.
Meanwhile, CCI summoned Publicis's South Asia chief for contracts and revenue details—a move Publicis is also challenging in court.
If the investigation finds proof of cartel activity, these companies could be hit with serious fines: up to three times their profits from any violations or 10% of their global turnover.
For now, everything is still under wraps as the probe continues.