CCI suspends approval for Amazon-Future Coupons deal; slaps Rs 202 cr penalty on e-tailer

In a big growth, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Friday suspended its greater than two-year-old approval for Amazon’s deal to amass stake in Future Coupons Pvt Ltd and in addition imposed a Rs 202 crore penalty on the e-commerce main for sure contraventions.
This comes amid a bitter authorized battle between Amazon and Future Group over the latter’s proposed Rs 24,713 crore cope with Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL). Against this backdrop, Future Group had complained to the CCI.
In a 57-page order, the regulator stated the approval for the Amazon-Future Coupons deal “shall remain in abeyance”.

Citing sure contraventions, CCI stated these have arisen “from a deliberate design on the part of Amazon to suppress the actual scope and purpose of the combination” and that it finds no mitigating issue.
Consequently, fines totalling Rs 2 crore have been imposed on Amazon.
For failure to inform the mixture within the requisite phrases, the watchdog has additionally slapped a penalty of Rs 200 crore.
The events concerned within the mixture have been Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC (Amazon) — a direct subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc — and Future Coupons.
“We are reviewing the order passed by the Competition Commission of India, and will decide on next steps in due course,” an Amazon spokesperson stated in a press release.

While approving the deal in November 2019, CCI had additionally talked about the order shall stand revoked if, at any time, the data supplied by the acquirer was discovered to be incorrect.
“This approval should not be construed as immunity in any manner from subsequent proceedings before the Commission for violations of other provisions of the (Competition) Act,” it had stated.
On November 29, the Supreme Court gave two extra weeks’ time to Amazon to look and argue earlier than the CCI which had declined adjournment of listening to in a case associated to revocation of approval given to the e-retailer for the cope with Future Coupons.
In August 2019, Amazon had agreed to buy 49 per cent in unlisted Future Coupons, which owns 7.3 per cent fairness in listed Future Retail by way of convertible warrants, with the precise to purchase into the flagship Future Retail after a interval of three to 10 years.

In August 2020, RRVL stated it would purchase the retail and wholesale enterprise, and the logistics and warehousing enterprise of Future Group for Rs 24,713 crore. The scheme of association entails the consolidation of Future Group’s retail and wholesale property into one entity Future Enterprises Ltd after which transferring it to Reliance Retail.
The deal has been contested by Amazon, an investor in Future Coupons.