Case of Austere Systems Pvt Ltd vs Competition Commission of India, NCLAT Delhi Judgement Dated 23rd September 2025. The appellate tribunal upheld the penalty as imposed by Competition Commission of India (CCI) on account of bid-rigging in soil testing tenders invited by Development of Agriculture, Government of Utter Pradesh against several companies and directors. It found that the companies engaged in a cartel to manipulate the tendering process, using collusive practices like bid rotation and “cover bidding”. The judgment affirmed the use of circumstantial evidence like shared IP addresses, common documentation, and interlinked personnel to prove collusion.