On Friday, the Supreme Court postponed the hearing of petitions filed by e-commerce powerhouses Amazon and Flipkart, challenging the Karnataka High Court's refusal to interfere with the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) preliminary inquiry into their alleged anti-competitive practices until August 9.

The CCI issued the challenged order in January 2020, directing the Director-General to investigate the claims against Amazon and Flipkart under Section 26(1) of the Competition Act. The ruling was issued in response to a complaint submitted by the Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh (a retailer's organization) alleging that Amazon and Flipkart favored a select group of vendors by exerting indirect influence their operations, particularly the launch of smartphones. E-commerce enterprises, according to the DVM, were exploiting their competitive position.

The CCI order was challenged by both firms in the Karnataka High Court