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Publicis Challenges Indian Antitrust Watchdog Over Access to Case Files

By  |  August 14, 2025

Publicis has taken legal action against India’s Competition Commission (CCI), accusing the regulator of withholding critical case documents in a major price-fixing investigation into advertising agencies, according to Reuters. The French advertising group filed a petition with the Delhi High Court on August 11, seeking an order compelling the CCI to share its case records.

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    The lawsuit follows the CCI’s refusal to pause its probe until Publicis could review the material, court filings reviewed by Reuters showed. The watchdog’s investigation, launched earlier this year, has sent shockwaves through India’s nearly $30 billion media and entertainment sector. In March, the CCI carried out surprise raids on major industry players, including WPP’s GroupM, Dentsu, Publicis, Omnicom, and several other agencies, over suspicions of coordinated pricing practices.

    While cartel cases in India are typically kept confidential, Reuters has reported that the CCI’s initial findings suggest the agencies used a WhatsApp group to align rates, entered into covert agreements, and collaborated with broadcasters to cut off business from non-compliant firms. Publicis argued in its court filing that it and its employees in India cannot adequately respond to the allegations without access to the records in question.

    Read more: India Expands Probe into Google’s Online Advertising Practices

    The petition was submitted by TLG India, identified in court documents as the entity housing most of Publicis’ advertising operations in the country. According to Reuters, the dispute stems from months of unanswered requests from Publicis for case file access. The company also previously urged the CCI in July to halt further investigative steps until such access was granted.

    The probe was reportedly set in motion when Dentsu approached the regulator in February 2024 under its leniency program, which offers reduced penalties for companies that provide evidence of misconduct. Publicis is the first firm to take the matter to court, per Reuters.

    CCI investigations can last several months, and the regulator has the authority to impose penalties of up to three times a company’s profit or 10% of its Indian subsidiary’s global turnover—whichever is greater—for each year the misconduct occurred. The Delhi High Court is expected to hear Publicis’ case next week.

    Source: Reuters