We acted early to protect our clients and people: Harsha Razdan on CCI investigation

As the Competition Commission of India (CCI) continues its investigation into alleged cartelisation and unfair trade practices in the media-buying ecosystem, Harsha Razdan, CEO – South Asia, dentsu, has said the company ‘acted early’ to protect its clients, people, and long-term credibility.

“We acted early in this space and we believe that we’ve done it to protect our clients and our people,” Razdan told exchange4media. 

“And it’s always difficult to take something up which we believe is the right direction, even if it’s not perfect. Our internal protocol of finance teams, legal teams and compliance processes have always been there. What may have strengthened is that now everyone is aware of interactions that we may have with trade associations or how you interact with competitors in terms of what the global understanding is,” he added. 

Expanding on this point, Razdan said the renewed focus is not about introducing new controls, but about deepening awareness and clarity across teams.

“We’ve strengthened the understanding and knowledge base of people in terms of what is accepted practice and what may not be accepted practice as what we understand by the law and are taking cognizance of that. Otherwise, I think life for us is as normal as always. But we just want people to be aware because the CCI and policies evolve over a period of time, and every industry goes through it and every industry has learned. We just want our people to be aware and cautious because that is the nature of the game,” he added.

Razdan also added that dentsu is also working closely with industry associations to ensure a cleaner and more transparent market environment. 

“Very clearly, we are engaging with every possible industry association and engaging in a more fair manner and engaging in a way in which our policies or compliance policies have told us to engage with. We want it to be fair for the betterment of the industry and to ensure that it works on fair trading practices,” he said.

He further explained that dentsu’s approach is not one of fear or reaction but of education and prevention.

“I would say there’s no change in our thinking compared to earlier, but we are more educated about both local and global norms and ensure that we are careful not to cross the line on things that may be perceived differently. I’m not saying that people are, or that I’m doing anything wrong, but I cannot be perceived as doing something that could potentially be in violation of anything at all.”

Earlier this year, in June 2025, the agency publicly disclosed that it had voluntarily approached the CCI under its leniency framework in February 2024, becoming the first network to do so. The disclosure confirmed dentsu’s cooperation in the ongoing investigation into alleged cartelisation in media buying and pricing practices.

 The disclosure also allowed the agency to work with the regulator in good faith and assist in identifying systemic lapses within the industry.

Read more on the dentsu disclosure

At the time, dentsu said its decision stemmed from a belief that the media ecosystem needed reform, not concealment, urging other players to contribute to creating a more equitable environment. The company stressed that such cooperation was in line with its global values of integrity and transparency.

Razdan’s comments reaffirm dentsu’s position as a reform-driven participant rather than a defensive respondent in the CCI’s ongoing inquiry. His statements also highlight how the global network has turned the episode into an internal opportunity to educate teams, reinforce compliance frameworks, and establish industry-wide clarity on acceptable business conduct.

“We just want our people to be aware and cautious,” Razdan said, “because that is the nature of the game.”

Read more on how leniency works