CCI Invites Comments from Public in Respect of Proposed Linde-Praxair Merger

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has invited comments, objections and suggestions in writing from any person(s) adversely affected or likely to be affected by the proposed merger between Linde AG and Praxair, Inc. The same are be addressed to the CCI at its New Delhi office or through email, within 15 working days from the date of publication of details of the proposed combination.

The CCI has also stated that it “is not likely to consider unsubstantiated objections.”

Linde, headquartered in Munich, Germany is primarily active in industrial & medical gases, specialty gases, helium and the related engineering and services sectors. Praxair, headquartered in Danbury (Connecticut, USA), is an international industrial gases company, which also has a surface technologies business that supplies high-performance surface coatings and equipment.

The Commission is of the prima facie opinion that the proposed merger is likely to have an appreciable adverse effect on competition and, accordingly, has directed the two parties, in terms of Section 29(2) of the Competition Act, 2002, to publish details of the merger for bringing the same to the knowledge or information of the public and persons affected or likely to be affected by such merger. The companies have already published the details of the proposed merger in all India editions of four newspapers viz., The Business Standard, The Financial Express, The Indian Express and The Hindustan Times on May 26, 2018 and the same is also hosted on the respective websites of the parties and on the website of the CCI.