French advertising giant Publicis Groupe has filed a lawsuit against India’s Competition Commission (CCI), alleging the watchdog unlawfully denied it access to key case records in a sweeping antitrust investigation targeting major advertising agencies, Reuters reported.
The case, filed on August 11 in the Delhi High Court, comes after Publicis failed to persuade the CCI to pause its probe until the company could review the documents underpinning the allegations. In its filing, Publicis stated that without access to the records, its Indian operations are “ The CCI has not commented publicly on the matter.
High-Profile Probe Shakes Indian Ad Industry
The CCI launched its investigation in March, conducting dawn raids on several of the world’s largest advertising groups — including WPP’s GroupM, Japan’s Dentsu, Omnicom, and Publicis — as well as multiple domestic agencies. The near-$30 billion Indian media and entertainment sector was rattled by the scale and scope of the raids.
According to Reuters reporting, the CCI’s preliminary findings suggest that the agencies coordinated advertising rates and discounts via a WhatsApp group, entered into secret pacts, and colluded with broadcasters to deny work to non-participating agencies.
The probe was triggered by Dentsu’s disclosure of alleged industry malpractice to the CCI in February 2024 under its leniency program, which offers reduced penalties for companies that provide evidence of cartel conduct.
Escalating Legal Tensions
Publicis is the first company involved in the CCI’s investigation to challenge the regulator in court. The company’s Indian legal entity, TLG India, lodged the filing and urged that further investigation “remain in abeyance” until inspection of case records is granted.
Court documents show that the CCI, in July, requested a briefing from Publicis on its business model and operational ties to its parent company. On August 4, the watchdog issued a summons to Anupriya Acharya, Publicis’ South Asia CEO, ordering her to appear before investigators and submit documents, including key contracts and revenue-sharing agreements. Publicis has asked the court to quash the summons.
Under Indian law, the CCI can impose penalties of up to three times a company’s profit or 10% of its global turnover — whichever is higher — for each year of proven antitrust violations. Investigations of this scale typically take several months.
The Delhi High Court is expected to hear Publicis’ petition next week. The outcome could influence not only the company’s defence strategy but also the broader procedural rights of firms facing antitrust scrutiny in India.
