The Competition Commission of India (CCI) a INR202.4 million (USD2.38 million) settlement proposal in the case against Google for abuse of dominant position. Google had been accused of enforcing restrictive agreements on manufacturers, requiring them to bundle Google Play Store with Android TVs. Google owns and develops the Android operating system software.
The abuse of dominant position case is the result of information filed by two individuals, Kshitiz Arya and Purushottam Anand.
Along with Google and its India entity, Xiaomi Technology India and TCL India Holding had also been named in the case. The restrictive and compulsory nature of the agreements prevented the use of and blocked market access to rival android versions. These actions collectively led to stifling innovation in the industry and violating the law.
The CCI investigation found that Google’s agreements imposed unfair terms of compulsorily pre-installing the full app bundle of Google TV services, hindering innovation.
In the settlement, Google will now provide a standalone licence for Play Store and Play Services for Android TVs in India. This removes the need for bundling and does not place any default placement conditions. Removing the mandatory android compatibility requirement means manufacturers can now develop incompatible android devices.
