On December 11, 2025, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) issued an order under Section 27 of the Competition Act, 2002, directing the Maharashtra Wine Merchants Association, Pune District Wine Merchants Association and Association of Progressive Liquor Vendors to cease anti-competitive practices. These practices were found to be in violation of Sections 3(3)(a) and 3(3)(b), read with Section 3(1), of the Act, and involved collectively prescribing conditions on manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of alcoholic beverages. This included stipulations on retail margins, new product launch schemes, transportation and delivery terms, cash discounts, credit periods, mandatory launch fees, donations, and other commercial terms.
The CCI found that the associations' practices of issuing communications to members prescribing or influencing pricing, margins, discounts, payment terms, transportation charges, or other commercial terms, as well as imposing mandatory NOC requirements on alcoholic beverage manufacturers, violated the Act. The CCI also found the office-bearers of these associations liable under Section 48. The order was passed in Case No.43 of 2019, and a copy is available on the CCI website at www.cci.gov.in.
Key Entities Referenced
Competition Commission of India (CCI): The primary regulator issuing the order against anti-competitive practices.
Competition Act, 2002: The law under which the CCI issued the order.
Sections 3(3)(a) and 3(3)(b): The specific sections of the Competition Act violated by the associations.
Maharashtra Wine Merchants Association, Pune District Wine Merchants Association and Association of Progressive Liquor Vendors: The associations directed to cease anti-competitive practices.
Competition Commission of India
CCI directs Maharashtra liquor trade
associations to cease anti-competitive practices
प्रव तथ: 11 DEC 2025 6:48PM by PIB Delhi
The Competition Commission of India (CCI), vide an order dated 11.12.2025 issued under Section 27 of
the Competition Act, 2002, (the Act) has directed the Maharashtra Wine Merchants Association, Pune
District Wine Merchants Association and Association of Progressive Liquor Vendors to cease and desist
from anti-competitive conduct found to be in violation of Sections 3(3)(a) and 3(3)(b), read with Section
3(1), of the Act.
The proceedings arose from the Information filed under Section 19(1)(a) of the Act, alleging that these
associations collectively prescribed conditions on manufacturers, distributors and sellers of alcoholic
beverages, including stipulations on retail margins, new product launch schemes, transportation and
delivery terms, cash discounts, credit periods, mandatory launch fees, donations and other commercial
terms.
Based on the evidence on record the Commission found that the the associations' practices of issuing
circulars, emails, or other communications to their members prescribing or influencing pricing, margins,
discounts, payment terms, transportation charges, or other commercial terms that ought to be
independently determined by each enterprise, as well as imposing mandatory requirements on alcoholic
beverages manufacturers to obtain NOCs prior to launching new products violate Section 3(3)(a) and
Section 3(3)(b), read with Section 3(1) of the Act. The CCI additionally found the office-bearers of these
associations liable under Section 48.
The order was passed in Case No.43 of 2019 and a copy is available on the CCI website at www.cci.gov.i
n.
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