CCI orders probe into Mrs India Inc over alleged restrictive contest rules

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Mumbai: The Competition Commission of India has ordered a probe into the functioning of Mrs India Inc, an important organizer of married women’s beauty pageants, for allegedly forcing unfair and exclusionary conditions upon the contestants and winners, marking the first such investigation into beauty pageants in the country.

The investigation comes after a complaint was filed by Rinima Borah Agarwal, first runner-up of 2024 Mrs India, also Mrs India Galaxy, who claimed that the company has used its dominant position to enter into unilateral contracts with the participants.

According to the preliminary order of the CCI, the contractual clauses include those that stipulate an embargo for five years, preventing both the winner and the runners up from entering any beauty pageant, directly or indirectly, either as a contestant, judge, trainer, consultant, co-ordinator, co-founder, founder or mentor, and to also take prior permission of the organizer to accept specific assignments/contracts.

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The contest winner will have to give prior written consent to work with certain clients and to even enter beauty-related assignments. Moreover, contestants have to bear massive training fees and grooming charges, and winners are restricted in ways that may impact their future assignments and even their careers, apart from clauses where Mrs India Inc claims rights on photographs and videos for any promotion.

The Commission, on reviewing the allegations, believes there is a prima facie case of both anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position. The Director General has been asked to complete the probe in 90 days.

While the organizers of the event, Mrs India, the top wedding event of married women that partners with different international pageants, have not yet reacted to the allegations, the investigation will see how far its alleged behavior aligns with Indian competition law.

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