Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

India accuses Samsung, Xiaomi of collusion with Amazon, Flipkart: Report

Small toy shopping cart is seen in front of displayed Amazon and Flipkart logos in this picture illustration. (Photo: Reuters)
Small toy shopping cart is seen in front of displayed Amazon and Flipkart logos in this picture illustration. (Photo: Reuters)

INDIA's Competition Commission has accused Samsung, Xiaomi, and other smartphone manufacturers of collaborating with Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart to launch products exclusively on their platforms, violating local antitrust laws.

Regulatory reports, seen by Reuters, indicate that the companies breached competition rules by favouring select sellers, prioritising certain listings, and offering steep discounts, to the detriment of other businesses.


The investigation, carried out by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), resulted in a 1,027-page report concerning Amazon and a 1,696-page report about Flipkart. The reports highlight that Indian units of companies such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, Realme, and OnePlus were involved in exclusive product launches in collusion with the e-commerce platforms, which violates competition regulations.

According to the reports, such practices could increase legal challenges for the smartphone manufacturers. GV Siva Prasad, additional director general of the CCI, stated in the report that "Exclusivity in business is anathema. Not only is it against free and fair competition but also against the interest of consumers."

Reuters was the first to report on these findings, which date back to August 9 but have not been made public. While Xiaomi declined to comment, other smartphone companies, as well as Amazon, Flipkart, and the CCI, have not responded to requests for comments.

Both reports found that during investigations, Amazon and Flipkart downplayed allegations of exclusive launches. However, officials observed that such practices were widespread. Data from Counterpoint Research shows that Samsung and Xiaomi hold a combined 36 per cent share of India's smartphone market, with Vivo having 19 per cent.

The findings could pose a significant setback for Amazon and Flipkart, as India's e-commerce market is projected to reach £122 billion by 2028, up from £43-46 billion in 2023, according to Bain consultancy.

Additionally, the CCI noted that both Amazon and Flipkart used their foreign investments to offer subsidised services like warehousing and marketing to select sellers, disadvantaging others.

Some smartphone companies, including Xiaomi, Samsung, OnePlus, Realme, and Motorola, have been instructed to submit their financial statements to the CCI for the fiscal years up to 2024. These statements must be certified by an auditor, according to an internal CCI document dated August 28.

The investigation was initiated in 2020 following a complaint from an affiliate of the Confederation of All India Traders, which represents 80 million members. The CCI is expected to review objections from the involved parties, including Amazon, Flipkart, and the smartphone manufacturers, in the coming weeks. This may result in fines and changes to their business practices.

Indian retailers have frequently accused these platforms of launching phones exclusively online, causing traditional retailers to lose out. According to both CCI reports, exclusive launches have hurt both ordinary sellers and brick-and-mortar retailers, who received the latest models later than online platforms.

Data from Datum Intelligence suggests that 50 per cent of phone sales in India took place online last year, a significant increase from 14.5 per cent in 2013. Flipkart accounted for 55 per cent of online phone sales in 2023, while Amazon held 35 per cent.

(Reuters)

More For You

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

Workers are engaged at their sewing stations in a garment factory in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on April 9, 2025. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

BANGLADESH, the world's second-biggest garment manufacturer, aims to strike a trade deal with the US before Donald Trump's punishing tariffs kick in next week, said the country's top commerce official.

Dhaka is proposing to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, which Trump used as the reason for imposing painful levies in his "Liberation Day" announcement.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Bond yields ease following Starmer’s support for Reeves

THE COST of UK government borrowing fell on Thursday, partially reversing the rise seen after Chancellor Rachel Reeves became emotional during Prime Minister’s Questions.

The yield on 10-year government bonds dropped to 4.55 per cent, down from 4.61 per cent the previous day. The pound also recovered slightly to $1.3668 (around £1.00), though it did not regain all its earlier losses.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Indian exporters watch closely as Trump says trade deal with India likely

THE US could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete more easily in the Indian market and reduce tariff rates, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. However, he cast doubt on a similar deal with Japan.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he believed India was ready to lower trade barriers, potentially paving the way for an agreement that would avoid the 26 per cent tariff rate he had announced on April 2 and paused until July 9.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

INDIAN footwear sellers and artisans are tapping into nationalist pride stoked by the Prada 'sandal scandal' in a bid to boost sales of ethnic slippers with history dating back to the 12th century, raising hopes of reviving a struggling craft.

Sales are surging over the past week for the 'Kolhapuri' sandals that have garnered global attention after Prada sparked a controversy by showcasing similar designs in Milan, without initially crediting the footwear's origins.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Economy grew 0.7 per cent in Q1 2025, fastest in a year

THE UK economy expanded at its fastest pace in a year during the first quarter of 2025, driven by a rise in home purchases ahead of a tax deadline and higher manufacturing output before the introduction of new US import tariffs.

Gross domestic product rose by 0.7 per cent in the January-to-March period, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, confirming its earlier estimate. This was the strongest quarterly growth since the first quarter of 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less