Amarchand gets CCI approval for Microsoft’s Nokia acquisition

Indian competition watchdog, CCI has approved the $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia’s devices and services business by Microsoft Corporation that was announced on September 3 this year..According to sources, the Delhi office of Amarchand Mangaldas advised both Microsoft and Nokia in receiving the CCI clearance for the acquisition within 26 days of the notification form being filed. With this, the CCI is the first competition law regulator to approve the transaction..The CCI observed that the parties are not active in the same market in India, and the transaction does not reduce a competitor in any market in India. Further, the CCI observed that the market is driven by ecosystems and the ability of competitors to integrate different smart products within the ecosystem, which encourages innovation and better products..It is understood that the Delhi Competition team comprising Partner Naval Satarawala Chopra along with Associates Yaman Verma, Dinoo Muthappa and Toshit Shandilya represented the parties before the CCI..This approval comes one day after the CCI approved the mega-merger of Publicis Groupe S.A. and Omnicom Group Inc., creating the world’s largest advertising company. Publicis and Omnicom were also advised by the Delhi office of Amarchand Mangaldas.