“CCI Dismisses InstaAstros Abuse Of Dominance Complaint Against Astrotalk”
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has dismissed a petition filed by InstaAstro, an online astrology platform, accusing its competitor Astrotalk of abusing its dominant position in the market. In its order, the regulatory body noted that InstaAstro failed to substantiate its claims with adequate data or statistics to prove that Astrotalk was indeed misusing its dominance.
CCI Big Claim
According to the CCI, for a claim of abuse of dominance to hold merit, the complainant must present concrete evidence such as market share data, financial records, or user statistics. In this case, InstaAstro could not provide the necessary details to back its allegations.
The CCI further emphasized that the astrology services market is competitive and features several well-established players. These competitors collectively act as a check on Astrotalk, ensuring it does not engage in anti-competitive practices. The regulator’s order highlighted the presence of other platforms that offer similar services, thereby creating a level playing field in the market.
CCI Research
By rejecting InstaAstro's plea, the CCI reiterated the importance of robust evidence in competition-related complaints. It also underlined the fact that a competitive market structure often naturally limits the scope for misuse of dominance by any single entity.
The dismissal of this petition serves as a reminder for businesses to rely on substantial proof when approaching regulatory bodies with allegations of anti-competitive behavior.
Anti-Competition Allegations
A bench of CCI chairperson Ravneet Kaur and members Anil Agrawal, Shweta Kakkad and Deepak Anurag said it was not correct to establish anti-competition allegations merely on the basis of media reports.
Competition Commission of India (CCI) dismissed a petition filed by astrology platform InstaAstro. It accused its competitor Astrotalk of abusing its dominant position in the market. In its order, the regulatory body has said that InstaAstro has failed to prove its claims with sufficient data or statistics.