The country's Competition Commission said it imposed the fine after the Association took out advertisements in various daily newspapers regarding prices of live broilers, broiler chicken meat and eggs in October last year.

The Commission said that such actions were anti-competitive, because they "have the potential of influencing pricing trends in the market and manipulating the behaviour of market players".

"While trade associations play an important role in the development of industries, exchange of any commercially sensitive information, including mere discussion of pricing-related matters is strictly prohibited under the Competition Act," the Competition Commission's statement said.

It further added that the Association had faced a previous fine of 50 million Rupees and warned that the Commission would not take such a lenient stance in future.