Big win for Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Bharti Mittal’s Airtel

The Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) today that sought to control internet costs, marking a significant ruling on internet prices in India. Nonetheless, the petitioner was given the freedom to pursue other legislative remedies by the Supreme Court. Since both Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Airtel and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio control the bulk of the Indian telecom market, the PIL’s denial is viewed as a big victory for them. All the information you want is provided here.

Rajat filed a PIL in which he named the Department of Telecommunication (DoT), Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Reliance Jio, and Bharti Airtel as defendants. The Supreme Court bench, consisting of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, was hearing the case.

It’s a free market, you get LAN, you get wired internet, there is other internet, BSNL and MTNL is also giving you internet”, CJI Sanjiv Khanna was quoted saying in a report by Live Law while rejecting the PIL.

“We are not inclined to entertain the present petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. We, however, clarify that in case the petitioner wants to take any recourse to appropriate statutory remedy is at liberty to do so , we make no comments in this regard”, CJI Sanjiv Khanna said while rejecting the PIL.

“No please, then go to the Competition Commission of India ..”, the CJI said on the monopoly question of Reliance Jio and Airtel.

According to the petitioner, Jio and Reliance hold the majority of the market share. “Go to the Competition Commission of India if you are alleging cartelization,” the court said. However, the top court made it clear that the petitioner was free to use any suitable legislative remedy if he so desired.

Thus, it may be concluded that Reliance Jio and Airtel’s telecom rates, including their internet costs, would stay the same as they are currently.