CCI Investigates Mrs India Inc Over Contest Rules
India’s competition regulator has launched an investigation into Mrs India Inc, a beauty pageant organiser for married women, over allegations that it imposed restrictive and unfair contract terms on participants. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said the probe focuses on the niche market of beauty pageants for married women that send winners to international competitions.
According to the CCI, agreements signed by contestants contained several onerous conditions, including a five-year restriction on participating in other beauty pageants as contestants, judges, or mentors. The regulator also noted that participants were required to obtain written approval before accepting professional assignments and were expected to support social causes promoted by the organisation.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Rinima Borah Agarwal, runner-up of the 2024 competition and winner of the Mrs. India Galaxy title. The watchdog stated that Mrs India Inc did not respond to repeated requests for information during its preliminary review. The investigation is expected to continue for several months before the regulator issues a final decision.
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