NCLAT upholds CCI's penalty on Google

A two member bench of NCLAT (National Company Law Appellate Tribunal) has upheld CCI's ₹1,337 crore penalty on Google for abuse of its dominant position in Android market. The bench has directed google to implement the direction and deposit the penalty in 30 days.

The Appellete tribunal has found that the order passed by the Competition Commission of India is not in violation of principles of natural justice. However, the NCLAT bench comprising Chairperson Justice Ashok Bhushan and Member Alok Shrivastava, has modified certain directives of the CCI order. The tribunal has given partial relief to the tech giant by setting aside the directives in the case related to abuse of its dominant position in Android. By this, Google is not obliged to allow third party app stores in Play Store as directed by CCI.

The Competition Commission of India had imposed a fine of Rs 1,337.76 crore on Google for anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. CCI also ordered the internet major to stop indulging in various unfair business practices