India fines Google for antitrust violations, hitting $10 billion ambitions in India

India’s antitrust regulator has fined Alphabet, Google’s parent company, $162 million for abusing the market power of its Android mobile platform. In his Oct. 20 order, the Indian Competition Commission ordered Google to own the Android operating system and allow its own mobile applications such as YouTube and Google Search to be pre-installed on Android devices. said it had an unfair competitive advantage.

Google said in a statement today (October 21) that the Indian regulator’s order is a “huge setback for Indian consumers and businesses.” More than 97% of his smartphones in India are powered by Google’s Android system, according to Hong Kong-based market research firm Counterpoint.

Indian regulators have also ordered Google to allow Android smartphone users to remove pre-installed Google-owned apps. In a statement, Google said such changes pose a “serious security risk to Indians who rely on Android’s security features.” Google said it would consider a decision evaluating next steps.

Google has big ambitions in India, the world’s second most populous country, and unlike its neighbor China, it still welcomes foreign investment. In 2020, Alphabet announced plans to invest his $10 billion in India over 5-7 years to fund India’s digital infrastructure. The company’s first major contract was with Indian telecoms giant Jio Platforms, owned by India’s second richest man, Mukesh Ambani, to manufacture affordable smartphones for India’s low-income population. is his $4.5 billion partnership with.

This isn’t the first time Google has faced government crackdowns on Android products. In 2018, the EU fined Google 4.3 billion euros (then her $5 billion) for stifling competition in the European online search and advertising market. This is the largest penalty the EU has ever imposed on a foreign company. Google has since attempted to overturn the ruling. In July, the EU Supreme Court upheld the ruling and reduced his fine by 5% to €4.1 billion.

Google could face similar antitrust fines in the United States pending the outcome of an ongoing lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice in October 2020. The tech giant is also under antitrust scrutiny in the UK.