January 15, 2023
2 mins read

CCI order will harm digital adoption in India: Google

Google said that foundational disruptions at this stage could set us back years and undo the deep investments and effort made by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)…reports Asian Lite News

As the fight between Google and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) reaches the Supreme Court, the tech giant on Friday said India is at a juncture where the stakeholders must come together to bring down barriers to access and make safe and secure smartphones available to all, supported by a flourishing digital ecosystem.

Google said that foundational disruptions at this stage could set us back years and undo the deep investments and effort made by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), developers, and the industry overall.

“It is a crucial moment for India – and our hope is that we, along with all the stakeholders of this vibrant ecosystem, can continue to build on top of this foundation,” said the company.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine an appeal by Google against a decision by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), declining to stay a Rs 1,337.76 crore penalty imposed on it by the CCI for alleged anti-competitive practices.

Google said that the “directions in the CCI’s order” strikes a blow at the ecosystem-wide efforts to accelerate digital adoption in the country.

“Google is appealing these directions before Indian courts. While there has been a lot of reporting and debate on the subject, it is critical that our users and stakeholders understand the full import of what lies at stake,” the company said in a blog post.

The number of annual app downloads in India reached a new high of 29 billion in 2022, making it the second biggest app market after China, offering developers in India and elsewhere, a strong platform to establish viable businesses on Play.

“India has seen a huge acceleration in the number of people coming online via smartphones. As we look beyond the estimated 700 million users who are already online, safety, affordability and expanded use cases for the next wave of users will be the pillars that will determine digital adoption.

“Unfortunately, the ordered remedies on Android strike blows to these very areas,” said Google, which are increased exposure to online harm and privacy risks, lack of robust and consistent security upgrades, predatory apps that expose users to financial fraud, data theft and a number of other dangers.

“Since incompatible Android forks will not support the security and user safety features that Google provides, security responsibilities for these devices will instead fall to the OEMs, who will need to invest extensively in creating consistent, all-year-round security upgrades themselves,” explained Google.

This will result in higher costs for the OEMs, and consequently, more expensive devices for Indian consumers, it added.

Google moved the apex court after the setback at NCLAT, which did not stay the CCI order on abuse of dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem case.

ALSO READ: Russian warns UK against sending Challenger tanks to Ukraine

Previous Story

Cleverly banned from entering Russia

Next Story

Layoffs begin at Ola

Latest from Business

Gold Shines Bright Amid Global Jitters

Gold and silver continued their bullish run on Monday, scaling new highs amid mounting global uncertainties, heightened geopolitical tensions, and growing expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut. According to the

ADNOC signs 15-year LNG deal with Indian Oil

Under the deal, LNG cargoes can be delivered to any port across India, enhancing the country’s energy security and meeting its rising energy demand. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has signed

PM Modi: India poised to lead next tech wave

PM Modi underscored that the country is poised to lead the next wave of digital transformation in 5G…reports Asian Lite News Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed India’s progress in expanding

India Hits 100GW Solar

The expansion is not only in scale but also in quality, with significant capacity dedicated to high-efficiency modules. Many manufacturers have adopted vertically integrated operations, enhancing quality, reducing costs, and improving resilience
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Google lays off hundreds in global recruiting team

On January 20 this year, Google CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed

Google, Renault expand ties for ‘software defined vehicle’

The companies will develop a set of onboard and offboard