The Competition Commission of India finds that three medical equipment/systems suppliers engaged in bid-rigging (Safdarjung hospital)

SUMMARY The Competition Commission of India established that three medical equipment/systems suppliers had engaged in bid-rigging in a tender for the supply of equipment/systems to the Sports Injury Centre of Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi in breach of Section 3 of the Competition Act, 2002. The CCI imposed penalties on each of the three suppliers of 5% of the average of three years’ turnover (totaling INR 30,095,218 (approx. €350,500)). On appeal, the Competition Appellate Tribunal upheld the CCI’s finding of breach, but reduced the level of penalty. Background: An NGO, A Foundation for Common Cause & People Awareness (the Foundation), filed an Information with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in August 2010 alleging bid rigging by three medical equipment/systems