Parl panel urges CCI to bolster crackdown on predatory pricing by online platforms

The Standing Committee on Finance has recommended the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to bolster its investigations into “predatory pricing and deep discounting” practices by dominant online platforms, citing their potential to harm small retailers. In its report, tabled in Parliament, the committee emphasised the need for clear guidelines to define when such practices cross into anti-competitive territory.

The report highlights growing concerns over the impact of aggressive pricing strategies employed by major e-commerce and quick commerce platforms, which often involve selling goods below cost to capture market share. Such practices, the committee warns, risk stifling competition and threatening the survival of micro, small and medium enterprises.