Google responded with a liquidation proposal under the liquidation regulations of CCI 2024, which most commissions accepted. | Photo credit: arnd wiegmann
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has seen a green agreement with Google, on accusations that the technological giant abused its dominant position in the Android TV market. The specialization in technology will pay ₹ 20.24 million rupees as an agreement.
However, the ruling has caused a debate, with a fractured verdict. A CCI member, Anil Agrawal, sent a dissent note that indicates that the liquidation is not addressed with the key conerns.
This is the first case that was resolved under the amended competence law, in which settlement and commitment provisions were introduced in 2023.
The majority, directed by President Ravneet Kaur and the members Sweta Kakkad and Deepak Anurag, said it gives manufacturers more flexibility to customize devices and compete. The liquidation amount of ₹ 20.24 million rupees was calculated based on the revenues of Android TV of Google, including the profits of YouTube and Play Store, with a 15 percent discount.
2020 – Case
The case, initiated in 2020, went to Google LLC, its Indian arm, the Xiaomi India and TCL India Holdings technology.
The informants alleged the Google agreements, in particular the distribution agreement of television applications (Tada) and the compatibility commitments of Android (ACC), forced smart TV manufacturers to pre -install Google applications, such as Play Store and YouTube, suffocating competition.
It was stated that these practices prevented manufacturers from using alternative versions of Android (holders) and unfairly linking YouTube to the Play Store store, violating India’s competition law.
After a detailed investigation, the CCI general director (DG) confirmed Google’s domain in operating systems and intelligent TV application stores licensed, discovering that the compulsory application group of Tada in the harmed competition of Android.
Google responded with a liquidation proposal under the liquidation regulations of CCI 2024, which most commissions accepted.
Settlement sacrifice
Google in its liquidation sacrifice presents the “New Indian Agreement”, where it offered an independent license for Play Store and Google Play Services for Android Smart TVS in India, without requirements to pre -install other Google applications such as YouTube. Available for five years, this fairy agreement will be open to all manufacturers, including those who use competitive systems such as Tizen or Roku OS.
The technological giant also facilitated restrictions that offered an exemption from the preparation of Tada for devices without Google applications and allowed manufacturers to develop and sell devices with Android fork (those that are executed in modified versions of the operating system), including smart cycling.
The existing certification process for devices will continue until 2029.
“Regarding the timeline for the implementation of the liquidation proposal, the Commission indicates that Google has submitted a definitive timeline for the introduction and implementation of the New Indian Agreement and sending an exemption letter in its presentation of 18.10.2024,” The CCI note ..
The Commission considers that the duration of five years of the liquidation proposal is reasonable, since it provides a time frame that facilitates effective monitoring.
Fractured verdict
The CCI Agrawal member has disagreed.
He argued that Google’s plan for the supply of continuous sacrifice tada along with the new completion leave anticompetitive practices, such as the grouping of mandatory applications and that requires the Google button on remote television, without levels. He pushed by a single fully compatible license agreement to replace Tada completely.
“I am of the opinion that it must be only one before, with or without rate, for the license of Google’s applications in the relevant market that sufficiently addresses the identified anti -competitive problems ….. the Liquidation proposal Dousve and Ess.Ne are the notes of the notes,” he said.
Posted on April 21, 2025