India’s competition watchdog accused Samsung and five Chinese smartphone makers of violating antitrust laws by working with two e-commerce giants to exclusively launch products, Reuters reported.

An investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) claimed Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo-owned Motorola, Realme, OnePlus and Vivo colluded with Walmart’s Flipkart and Amazon to give preference to some vendors, prioritise certain listings and offer attractive discounts at the expense of other companies, the news agency stated.

During the probe, CCI said both e-commerce giants “deliberately downplayed” claims of exclusive launches, but officials said the practice was “rampant”.

In reports about Flipkart and Amazon, CCI additional director general GV Siva Prasad insisted: “Exclusivity in business is anathema. Not only is it against free and fair competition but also against the interest of consumers,” Reuters wrote.

Some of the vendors were ordered to provide financial data for the past three years. After reviewing input from Flipkart and Amazon, the handset makers and the retailer association, CCI could levy penalties and demand changes in business practices.

Canalys Q2 data showed Xiaomi, Vivo and Samsung were the top three smartphone brands in India, with a combined market share of 53 per cent.