In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking regulation of internet tariffs charged by telecom giants Jio and Airtel, stating that consumers have multiple options available in the market.
The bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, declined to entertain the plea under Article 32 of the Constitution while granting the petitioner the liberty to explore alternative statutory remedies.
The petition was filed by an individual named Rajat, who argued that Reliance Jio holds a dominant share of the telecom market, making tariff hikes unfair to consumers. He contended that Jio commands nearly 80% of the market, limiting competition.
The court observed that consumers have various alternatives, including local area networks, wired broadband services, and state-run providers such as BSNL and MTNL.
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During the hearing, the Chief Justice explained that regulatory concerns related to market dominance should be taken up with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), rather than being pursued as a constitutional matter before the Supreme Court. The court also made no comments on the merits of the case but emphasized that the petitioner could seek appropriate legal remedies if any specific law had been violated.
The PIL had named the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Reliance Jio, and Bharti Airtel as respondents. The petition’s dismissal comes amid ongoing discussions in the telecom sector regarding the frequency of tariff hikes.
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Industry leaders, including Vi CEO Akshaya Moondra, have justified recent increases, citing the need for returns on capital investments.
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