On November 14, 2017, CCI dismissed the information filed under Section 19(1)(a) of the Act by the Association of Registration Plates Manufacturers of India (‘Association’) against Shimnit UTSCH India Private Limited (‘Shimnit’), Real Mazon India Private Limited (‘Real’), and TEST Security License Plates Private Limited (‘TEST’) (Shimnit, Real, and TEST collectively referred to as the ‘Registration Plates Manufacturers’).The Association had alleged that the Registration Plates Manufacturers had formed a cartel to engage in collusive bidding in various States to get High Security Registration Plates (‘HSRP’) contracts by conniving with the officials of the Transport Departments. The Association further alleged that the rates quoted by the Registration Plates Manufacturers in the bids used to be very high and later when open Notice Inviting Tenders (‘NITs’) were floated by the States and tender conditions were eased, the Registration Plates Manufacturers abuse their dominant position through predatory pricing.CCI observed that the Association failed to establish any specific case of bid rigging in any State tender post-2009 and that no conduct nor any evidence supporting collusion among the Registration Plates Manufacturers post-2009 was detailed in the information.

*Case No. 58 of 2017.