Google LLC told the Supreme Court of India on Thursday that hearings in its case involving alleged anti-competitive practices related to the Android mobile platform could take up to six days, as per media reports.
This comes as the top court continues to hear cross-pleas from both Google and the Competition Commission of India (CCI), following a National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) decision last year that upheld a Rs 1,338 crore fine against the tech giant.
The case stems from a ruling by the CCI in October 2022, which found Google guilty of exploiting its dominant position in the Android ecosystem and imposed the hefty penalty. The regulator also ordered Google to cease certain business practices it deemed unfair, such as requiring manufacturers to pre-install a suite of Google apps on Android devices. While the NCLAT upheld the fine in March 2023, it struck down some of the CCI’s directives, including the allowance for third-party app stores on Google’s Play Store.
Both parties are challenging aspects of the NCLAT’s verdict in the Supreme Court. Google has argued against the upheld penalty and restrictions related to its Android practices, while the CCI seeks the restoration of directives that were dismissed. The cross-pleas were listed for hearing by a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, though the matter was unlikely to be heard on Thursday as the court was still dealing with other cases.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Google, mentioned that the hearings could take several days to complete. The court had earlier appointed a nodal counsel to prepare digital pleadings for both sides, ensuring smooth adjudication. The case is one of the most significant antitrust battles in India’s digital sector, raising questions about the extent of Google’s control over the Android ecosystem, which powers the vast majority of smartphones in the country.
The NCLAT, in its March 2023 decision, supported the CCI's direction for Google to allow users to choose their default search engine during the initial device setup. It also ruled that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) could not be forced to pre-install a bundle of Google apps. However, it dismissed four of the CCI's directives, including one that would have restricted Google from preventing users from uninstalling its pre-installed apps.
