Anti-trust inquiry against Apple over exclusive alliances for sale of iPhones
The antitrust regulator, Competition Commission of India, or CCI, is examining Apple Inc's Indian unit for having abused its dominant position in the smartphone market via exclusive partnerships with selected mobile phone service providers. I don't see this move getting much of a traction, in light of the fact that the CCI is still a body in the very infant stage of its life, and are still practically figuring out parameters on which a breach of competition law can be judged or gauged.
This move is not so much targeted on the sale of iPads, as it is targeted on the sale of Apple iPhones, which is available in India through exclusive offers from Bharti Airtel and Aircel, besides the authorized Apple resellers - iStores and Imagine. Now, this is a sale model that has been adopted by Apple and other phone makers in most markets, including but not limited to the US - where phone makers and telcos collaborate to bundle their offerings.
