Media Cartel Probe: DG Report by Mid-2026; Ad Agencies Face Prolonged CCI Scrutiny

• CCI's DG to submit report on media cartel probe by mid-2026, involving major ad agencies like Dentsu, GroupM, Publicis, Havas, IPG, Madison, Omnicom, and industry bodies AAAI, ISA, IBDF.
• Investigation triggered by Dentsu's leniency application in February 2024, focusing on Section 3(3) of the Competition Act, 2002, regarding price-fixing and competition distortion.
• Publicis and Madison have challenged the probe in Delhi High Court; Publicis disputes its entity status, while Madison alleges a "buyers' cartel" by advertisers.
• The probe involves coordinated search operations and scrutiny of internal communications, WhatsApp chats, and rate cards to establish collusion.
• Adverse findings could lead to significant financial penalties and reshape media-buying practices, with legal battles potentially extending beyond 2026.

Why It Matters: Major ad agencies face prolonged CCI cartel probe; DG report by mid-2026, but legal challenges persist.