The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to interfere with an ongoing Competition Commission of India (CCI) probe into Reliance-owned JioStar’s alleged abuse of dominance in Kerala’s cable television market, dismissing a plea by the company to halt the investigation.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Sandeep Mehta said the matter was still at a preliminary stage and allowed the CCI to proceed with its inquiry. “Sorry. Let the regulator investigate. It is only at a preliminary stage. Dismissed,” the bench remarked, turning down arguments advanced by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi on behalf of JioStar.
Rohatgi had argued that JioStar’s pricing and discounts were governed under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act, 1997, which places limits on discounts and mandates a non-discriminatory regime. He contended that the CCI should not intervene in a matter that falls under the jurisdiction of a sectoral regulator, pointing to a favourable Bombay High Court judgment.
However, Justice Pardiwala responded that the issue required further scrutiny, indicating that the presence of a sectoral regulator did not automatically oust the competition authority’s jurisdiction at this stage.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Asianet Digital Network Limited (ADNPL), a Kerala-based digital TV provider, which accused JioStar of violating provisions of the Competition Act, 2002. ADNPL alleged that JioStar offered discriminatory and excessive discounts to Kerala Communicators Cable Limited (KCCL), a regional cable operator, through what it described as sham marketing agreements. These practices allegedly led to a sharp decline in ADNPL’s subscriber base over just a few months.
According to TRAI norms, broadcasters are permitted to offer up to 35% in discounts under a fair and non-discriminatory pricing regime. However, ADNPL has claimed that JioStar granted discounts exceeding 50% to KCCL through indirect arrangements, giving it an unfair advantage in the regional market.
JioStar had earlier approached the Kerala High Court, which refused to stay the investigation. That decision was upheld by a division bench on December 3, 2025. JioStar then moved the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s decision, but its efforts to block the CCI probe have now hit a legal dead end.
With the Supreme Court’s dismissal, the Director General of the CCI is now set to continue investigating the allegations of market abuse and anti-competitive practices by JioStar and its subsidiaries in the Kerala television broadcasting sector.
