The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea filed by Reliance Industries–owned streaming platform JioStar seeking to halt a Competition Commission of India (CCI) probe into allegations of abuse of its dominant position in the Kerala cable television market.
A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Sandeep Mehta said the matter was at a preliminary stage and allowed the market regulator to continue with its investigation.
“Sorry. Let the regulator investigate. It is only at a preliminary stage. Dismissed,” the bench told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for JioStar.
Rohatgi submitted that JioStar is governed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Act, 1997, which prescribes the pricing framework, including limits on charges and discounts.
“The question is whether an investigation can be conducted in a matter already covered by a sectoral regulator. There is a Bombay High Court judgment in my favour,” he contended.
Justice Pardiwala, however, observed that the issue would need closer examination.
The complaint has been filed by Asianet Digital Network Limited (ADNPL), which has accused JioStar of abusing its dominant position in the television broadcasting market in Kerala, in violation of the Competition Act, 2002. ADNPL has alleged that JioStar provided discriminatory discounts and preferential treatment to Kerala Communicators Cable Limited (KCCL).
JioStar has challenged a Kerala High Court order dated December 3, 2025, which upheld a single judge’s refusal to stay the CCI investigation into the alleged violations of competition law.
The CCI had directed its director general to initiate an investigation into complaints by ADNPL, a digital TV service provider, against JioStar and its subsidiaries over alleged discriminatory pricing and excessive discounting in favour of KCCL.
According to ADNPL, the alleged preferential treatment led to a sharp migration of subscribers from its platform, with its subscriber base declining steeply over a period of five to six months.
Under Trai regulations, broadcasters are permitted to offer discounts of up to 35 per cent and are required to follow a non-discriminatory pricing regime. Asianet has claimed that JioStar effectively extended discounts exceeding 50 per cent to KCCL through separate marketing or promotional agreements, which it described as sham arrangements.
