No relief for Google, SC to hear Google’s plea against NCLAT order on 18 Jan

The SC bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, asked senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Google, to clarify on Wednesday if standards deployed in Europe can also be deployed in India.

“Please reflect on this and come back. We will hear this case on Wednesday,” the SC bench stated.

Senior advocate Singhvi had earlier mentioned the matter seeking urgent hearing.

The senior lawyer said that extraordinary directions have been passed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the order has to be complied by 19 January.

The CCI has imposed a ₹1,338-crore penalty on Google for unfair and anti-competitive practices in relation to Android phones.

On 4 January, the NCLAT had refused an interim stay on an order of CCI and had asked Google to deposit 10% of the amount.

The NCLAT admitted the search giant’s challenge to the CCI slapping a ₹1,337.76 crore fine for abusing the dominant position of its Android smartphone operating system in the country.

In October 2022, the CCI had asked the US firm to allow smartphone users on the Android platform to uninstall apps and let them select a search engine of their choice.

That order was to become effective from 19 .

India is a significant market for global tech giants, who are drawn to its large user base, tech appetite, business potential, and enabling policies.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai had recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India recently.

Pichai had said the pace of technological change in the country has been extraordinary and the company is supporting small businesses and startups, investing in cybersecurity, providing education and skills training, and applying AI (Artificial Intelligence) in sectors like agriculture and healthcare.