Grateful to CCI for instituting processes for constructive engagements — Google
Tech giant Google on Tuesday said it is the grateful to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for instituting processes which enable constructive engagements between companies and the market
- NEW DELHI — Tech giant Google on Tuesday said it is the grateful to the
Competition Commission of India (CCI) for instituting processes which enable
constructive engagements between companies and the market.
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- The company reacted after it paid up a penalty of Rs
20.24 crore to settle its case with the regulator over the alleged unfair
business practices and abuse of dominance by the US tech giant in India’s
Android TV segment.
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- “Google is committed to abiding by applicable local laws
in every country where we operate and are grateful to the CCI for the
opportunity to engage and present our case,” the tech giant said in a
statement.
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- “We also thank the CCI for instituting processes which
enable constructive engagements between companies and the market, allowing for
continued investment and growth,” it added.
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- This is the first case to be settled under the amended
Competition Act, wherein settlement and commitment provisions were introduced
in 2023, according to a CCI statement on Monday.
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- After receiving a complaint, CCI had ordered a detailed
probe in 2021.
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- Later, Google proposed to settle the case and CCI
considered the settlement proposal and observed that under the "New India
Agreement", Google will provide a standalone licence for the Play Store
and Play Services for Android smart TVs in India, thereby, removing the
requirement to bundle these services or impose default placement conditions,
the CCI statement said.
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- "Additionally, by waiving the need for valid Android
Compatibility Commitments for devices shipped into India that do not include
Google apps, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) can now sell and develop
incompatible Android devices without violating the Television App Distribution
Agreement (TADA)," CCI further stated.
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- The regulator said it has accepted the settlement
proposal.
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- The case involved alleged abuse of dominance in smart TV
software, highlighting the need for exercising regulatory control over global
tech firms to ensure fair competition in the market.
