CCI competition order Case No. 26 of 2025 · 20 Apr 2026
Official title
M/s Natural Support Consultancy Services Private Limited (‘NSCSPL’) And National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (‘NABARD’) & Infosys Limited
Summary
Check the official recordThe Competition Commission of India (CCI) has closed the case filed by M/s Natural Support Consultancy Services Private Limited (NSCSPL) against the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Infosys Limited. The informant alleged that NABARD abused its dominant position and engaged in anti-competitive agreements by restricting participation in a 2023 Request for Proposal (RFP) to authorized partners of Infosys for the Finacle Core Banking Solution (CBS). The CCI determined that the requirement for authorized partners was a reasonable technical necessity to ensure compatibility, data security, and software integrity for existing users. Finding no evidence of anti-competitive conduct or abuse of dominance, the Commission closed the matter under Section 26(2) of the Competition Act, 2002.
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Case No. 26 of 2025
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COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA Case No. 26 of 2025
M/s Natural Support Consultancy Services Private Limited (‘NSCSPL’)
Informant
And
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (‘NABARD’)
Opposite Party No. 1 Infosys Limited
Opposite Party No. 2
CORAM Ms. Ravneet Kaur Chairperson
Mr. Anil Agrawal Member
Ms. Sweta Kakkad Member
Mr. Deepak Anurag Member
Case No. 26 of 2025
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Order under Section 26(2) of the Competition Act, 2002
The present Information has been filed by M/s Natural Support Consultancy Services Private Limited (‘NSCSPL’/‘Informant’) under Section 19(1)(a) of the Competition Act, 2002 (‘Act’), alleging contravention of the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of the Act, by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (‘NABARD’/ ‘OP-1’) and Infosys Limited (‘Infosys’/‘OP-2’), hereinafter referred to as the Opposite Parties (‘OPs’).
The Informant is a private limited company engaged in the business of software designing, development, customization, implementation, maintenance, testing and benchmarking, mobile app development, enhancing connectivity between participants, loyalty application, billing applications, etc.
OP-1 is a regulator established under the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981 (‘NABARD Act, 1981’) for providing and regulating credit and other facilities such as promoting integrated rural development and prosperity of rural areas. It is a mentor and facilitator for implementing Core Banking Solutions (‘CBS’) to facilitate the optimal use of technology in rural financial sector.
OP-2, originally incorporated as Infosys Consultants Private Limited, is a multinational Information Technology company. It is engaged in providing Information Technology services including software development, maintenance, and independent validation services to companies in banking, finance, insurance, manufacturing, telecommunications, and other sectors.
It is stated that NABARD issues Request for Proposal (‘RFP’) on behalf of Rural Cooperative Banks (‘RCBs’) for inviting vendors to provide CBS to the Banks. CBS are centralized software platforms used by banks and financial institutions to manage their daily operations. For the implementation of CBS, two services are majorly needed, Original Equipment Manufacturer (‘OEM’) and System Integrator (‘SI’). The SI as defined in the RFP means the responding entity to the RFP document in its capacity as the primary bidder.
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It is stated that against the Expression of Interest (‘EOI’), NABARD floated a RFP titled as “Request for Proposal-Identification of OEM/Product Vendor/Sl for implementing Core Banking Solution-Based on Application Service Provider (‘ASP’) model–across 140 Cooperative banks across the nation” vide RFP No. NABARD\Repo Cell\CBS\RFP\2011\001 dated 30.08.2011 (‘2011 RFP’) and empaneled the following two vendors against the said RFP: I. Infosys as the OEM and Wipro as the SI II. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. as the SI and OEM
As stated in the Information, the original contract with the consortium of Wipro and Infosys was for 5 years which was renewed several times by NABARD till 31.12.2022, post which Wipro informed NABARD regarding their decision to withdraw from the contract. Thereafter, the agreement by conduct went beyond the awarded tender proceeding with the same OEM i.e., Infosys’ Finacle Software for another year till 31.12.2023 and henceforth till date.
It is stated that on 27.10.2023, NABARD invited RFP on behalf of RCBs titled as “Request for Proposal (RFP) for identification of application service provider for migration/upgradation of Core Banking Solution from Finacle 7.x to Finacle 10.2.25 and maintenance for 5 years-based on Application Service Provider (ASP) Model-across 58 Cooperative Banks in 9 States (through GeM Portal)” vide Ref. No. NB.HO. SPPID/867/SPPID-28/2023-24 (‘2023 RFP’).
As per the Information, NABARD vide email dated 06.03.2024, informed RCBs that M/s Dynacons Systems and Solutions Ltd., led consortium comprising of Xtranet Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and Best of Breed Software Solutions had emerged as the winning bidder for the banks. It is stated that these companies were selected to support the ongoing CBS Finacle 10.2.25 and not to build or co-create parallel CBS. These services provided by them were ancillary services to CBS services provided by Infosys.
It is alleged by the Informant that there exists an anti-competitive agreement between NABARD and Infosys as there have been a series of extensions of tender between the
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two parties which indicate an arrangement to ensure that competitors are kept out of the market. The agreement alleged between NABARD and Infosys is clearly implied by the conduct of both the parties. The pattern of decision making and execution of contractual obligation beyond the stipulated period establishes the existence of an implied agreement between NABARD and Infosys and is stated to be in violation of Section 3 of the Act.
It is alleged by the Informant that the 2023 RFP restricted participation to those SIs who are authorized partners of the OEM, i.e., Infosys. This excludes all other service providers regardless of their technical capabilities, efficiency and ability to provide better services. The renewal of the contract until 2022, the continuation of the arrangement of an unfair and discriminatory condition in the 2023 RFP requiring SIs to be in association with Infosys clearly shows a pattern of preferential treatment and exclusive dealing, which is in violation of Section 3(4)(b) and 3(4)(d) of the Act.
The Informant has stated that since, there exist specialized producers and a defined category of customers points, the relevant product market is defined to be ‘Market for providing CBS Services to Rural Cooperative Banks’. It also stated that since NABARD is a regulatory body for State and District Cooperative Banks in India and the 2011 and 2023 RFPs were issued to provide Core Banking System and surrounding solutions for Cooperative Banks located in States and Union Territories of India, the relevant geographic market may be defined as ‘India’. Therefore, the Informant has defined the relevant market as the ‘Market for providing CBS Services to Rural Cooperative Banks in India’.
The Informant has alleged that NABARD being a dominant player and a statutory monopoly in the relevant market of ‘Market for providing CBS Services to Rural Cooperative Banks in India’ has imposed discriminatory and unfair conditions in the 2023 RFP by restricting the market access, and providing an unjustified leverage to Infosys, thereby abusing its dominant position in violation of Section 4 of the Act. It is stated that such conduct by NABARD affects the competition in the relevant market, thus disabling the competitors of Infosys from competing in the market.
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It is alleged that by limiting eligibility only to SIs associated with Infosys's Finacle CBS, NABARD has unfairly restricted market access and excluded other service providers. This conduct has limited the development of CBS and adversely affected technical and scientific development, to the prejudice of RCBs as consumers, thereby preventing competition and innovation in the market. It is further alleged that NABARD has exercised its dominance in the RCBs market to influence the CBS market, giving undue advantage to Infosys without any valid economic justification. The conduct on the part of NABARD is stated to be in contravention of Section 4(2)(a)(i), 4(2)(b)(i), 4(2)(b)(ii), 4(2)(c) and 4(2)(e) of the Act.
The Informant has prayed from the Commission for the following reliefs: a. Declare that there exists an anti-competitive agreement between NABARD and Infosys, in violation of the provisions of the Act; b. Declare that there exists an abuse of dominant position by NABARD in the relevant market; c. Impose such penalty as it may deem fit; d. Pass such other order(s), direction(s), or relief(s) as the Commission may deem just, equitable, and necessary in the interest of justice, equity, and good conscience.
The Commission considered the Information on 12.11.2025 and decided to seek comments/response from NABARD on the Information. NABARD filed its response dated 22.12.2025 on 26.12.2025 in compliance of the Commission’s order dated 12.11.2025. Further, response of NABARD was refiled on 12.01.2026 with an affidavit.
The Commission considered the matter in its ordinary meeting held on 29.01.2026 and decided to pass an appropriate order.
The Commission has perused the Information, material available on record, response of NABARD on the Information and notes that the Informant’s primary grievance is that OP-1 issued the 2023 RFP restricting participation to SIs who are authorised partners of Infosys for the Finacle CBS platform, thereby allegedly excluding other service providers. The Informant further contended that repeated extensions of the earlier tender
