Google’s Appeal Against INR 1,337 Cr Penalty Reserves Judgment In CCI Case
- ByStartupStory | March 21, 2023
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) reportedly concluded the hearing on Monday for Google’s appeal against the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order and reserved judgment. The two-member bench, comprised of retired Justice Ashok Bhushan and Dr. Alok Srivastava as chairperson, had been hearing the case for over a month.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) ordered Google to pay an INR 1,337.76 crore fine for anti-competitive practices related to its dominant position in the Android ecosystem, a ruling which Google has appealed before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal. The NCLAT heard arguments from senior counsels Arun Kathpalia and Maninder Singh, who represented Google, while the CCI was represented by additional solicitor general N Venkataraman and standing counsel Samar Bhansal. After hearing the case for over a month, the NCLAT reportedly reserved its judgment on Monday.
During the hearing of Google’s appeal against the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal allowed Epic Games, MapMyIndia, and OSlabs Technology to make their submissions. Google argued that CCI’s investigation was not impartial, balanced, or legally sound, and ignored evidence from Indian users, app developers, and OEMs. The tech giant further claimed that the findings were erroneous and disregarded the reality of competition in India, as well as the benefits of Google’s pro-competitive business model for all stakeholders.
Google claims confirmation bias in appeal against CCI’s INR 1,337.76 Cr penalty for anti-competitive practices. During the hearing, the tech giant contended that the CCI’s order was based on a similar order from the European Commission in 2018. In response, the CCI stated that Google has created a digital data hegemony, with additional solicitor general Venkataraman making the comments while concluding his arguments before the NCLAT.
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has reserved its verdict in the Google versus Competition Commission of India (CCI) case, which accuses the tech giant of abusing its dominant position in the Android ecosystem. The CCI had imposed a penalty of INR 1,337.76 Cr on Google for anti-competitive practices, which the company challenged before NCLAT.
During the hearing, Google claimed that CCI’s order suffers from confirmation bias and is based on a similar order from the European Commission in 2018. The competition watchdog argued that Google’s strategy is ‘moat and castle’-based, creating a digital data hegemony and a ‘walled garden’ approach. Last year, the CCI also fined Google INR 936 Cr in a separate case related to its Play Store policies.
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