AICPDF files antitrust case against Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto

The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has filed an antitrust case against quick commerce platforms Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), accusing them of engaging in deep discounting practices.

The case comes amid growing scrutiny of the quick commerce sector’s pricing strategies, according to a report by news agency Reuters. The AICPDF, representing 4,00,000 distributors, supplies products from brands such as Nestle, Unilever, and Tata to 13 million retail shops across India.

In its filing, the AICPDF alleged that "predatory pricing and deep discounting practices by Q-commerce platforms resulted in unfair pricing models," adding that local brick-and-mortar stores "cannot match" the discounts offered by these platforms.

The group compared online and offline prices for 25 products, including those from Nestle and Hindustan Unilever. For example, a variant of Nescafe coffee jars, which small independent retailers purchase for around 622 rupees, was reportedly priced at 514 rupees on Zepto, 577 rupees on Swiggy Instamart, and 625 rupees on Blinkit.

This is not the first time quick commerce platforms have faced regulatory scrutiny. Last year, the CCI launched a separate investigation into Zomato and Swiggy’s food delivery businesses, concluding that they had breached competition laws. That case remains ongoing.

The AICPDF's complaint also follows a similar antitrust probe last year into Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart. That investigation found that the e-commerce giants favoured select sellers and engaged in 'predatory pricing,' a practice that has drawn criticism from smaller retailers.

The CCI is expected to review the AICPDF's latest complaint as part of its broader efforts to ensure fair competition in the digital marketplace.