HP India rigged government tenders through its resellers — ₹142.37 crore CCI fine

In July 2026 the Competition Commission of India fined HP India and 21 of its resellers a combined ₹142.37 crore for cartelisation and bid-rigging. The penalty covered two separate orders, both alleging that HP India directed the bidding for its products while its resellers coordinated to win.

The two cases both centred on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), India's public procurement portal. In the first, HP India was fined ₹126.87 crore and five resellers about ₹1.22 crore over the sale of personal system products — PCs, laptops and related hardware. In the second, HP India was fined a further ₹11.98 crore and sixteen tier-2 resellers ₹2.30 crore over printer consumables such as toner and ink cartridges.

The CCI found the resellers submitted support and cover bids in breach of Sections 3(3)(d) read with 3(1) of the Competition Act, 2002, and that HP India played a central role in the cartel arrangement among them, withholding authorisations and influencing which reseller won the GeM tenders.

Both proceedings arose from lesser penalty applications filed by HP India itself under Section 46 of the Act, disclosing the alleged cartel arrangements in exchange for a possible reduction in its own penalty.