CCI Imposes Penalties On AIDA AIWA And Four Officials For Anti-Competitive Conduct

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 21 August 2026 imposed monetary and non-monetary sanctions on the Agro Input Dealers Association (AIDA), Agro Input Welfare Association (AIWA) and four individuals for engaging in anti-competitive conduct amounting to cartelisation.

The Commission held AIDA, AIWA, Manmohan C. Kalantri, Arvindbhai Jerambhai Patel, Pravinbhai Patel and Sanjay Kumar Raghuwanshi liable for contravening Section 3(3)(b) read with Section 3(1) of the Competition Act, 2002. The provisions prohibit agreements between enterprises or associations that limit or control production, supply, markets or services and cause or are likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition.

It directed AIDA, AIWA and the individuals found liable to refrain from engaging in the conduct found to have contravened the Competition Act. Considering the nature and gravity of the contravention, along with the relevant mitigating and aggravating factors, it imposed a penalty of Rs. 81,889 on AIDA, Rs. 3.92 lakh on AIWA, Rs. 4.98 lakh on Kalantri and Rs. 74,717 on Arvindbhai Jerambhai Patel.

Further, the CCI imposed penalties of Rs. 9,177 on AIDA General Secretary Pravinbhai Patel and Rs. 8,622 on AIDA National Spokesperson Sanjay Kumar Raghuwanshi. It also directed AIDA and AIWA to conduct competition compliance training programmes to improve awareness of competition law and foster compliance within the organisations.