India Accuses France’s Saint-Gobain Of Anti-Competitive Practices

The antitrust watchdog in India is examining a case against Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, which alleges that the French company compelled certain partners to exclusively purchase glass from them or face potential supply exclusion. This information was detailed in documents reviewed by Reuters.

A case was filed against Saint-Gobain and their local unit to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in May by an unidentified retired glass industry executive who requested confidentiality, according to Reuters.

Saint-Gobain has been accused of market position abuse in the float glass and coated glass variants. They hold a 44% share of the Indian float glass market and a 19% share of the coated glass market, according to documentation.

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Saint-Gobain said in a statement to Reuters it was not aware of and nor had it been served any complaint, notice or document. The group and its India unit, Saint-Gobain India Private Limited, “conduct their activities in compliance with laws”, in particular competition law, it said.

The CCI did not respond to a request for comment. It does not, as per policy, disclose details of cases filed or under review.

The May 25 case documents allege Saint-Gobain entered into agreements with glass processors, forcing them to “exclusively” purchase glass from the company or face stopped supplies if that obligation is not fulfilled.