Google wins partial relief in Android antitrust case in India

Google received some relief in the key market of India on Wednesday after a tribunal court set aside four of 10 directives, including the need to permit hosting of third-party app stores within Play Store and restricting uninstallation of pre-installed apps by users, in an antitrust case related to the abuse of company's dominant position in Android.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal upheld the $161 million penalty levied on Google by the local watchdog, Competition Commission of India (CCI), saying the earlier verdict was "not in violation of the principles of natural justice," but offered the Android-maker some relief.

India is Google’s largest market by users. The Android operating system powers 97% of the country’s 600 million smartphones, according to research firm Counterpoint. The CCI's ruling directed Google to make several changes to its business practices that many analysts argued could topple the company's global operations.

Google in 2020 pledged to invest $10 billion in the South Asian market over the coming years. It has already invested up to $5.5 billion in local telecom giants, Jio Platforms and Airtel.