By Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Google is preparing to approach India's Supreme Court within days to try to block a ruling by the country's antitrust watchdog that will force the U.S. company to change how it markets its Android platform, two people familiar with its strategy told Reuters.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) in October fined the Alphabet Inc unit $161 million for exploiting its dominant position in the market for Android which powers 97% of smartphones in India, a key growth region for the U.S. giant.
Google, however, has been worried about the Indian decision as the remedies ordered are seen as more sweeping than the European Commission's landmark 2018 ruling for imposing unlawful restrictions on Android mobile device makers. Google has challenged the record $4.3 billion fine in that case.
In India, Google is now gearing up to file a legal challenge at the Supreme Court within days as the antitrust watchdog's Jan. 19 deadline to implement changes to its model looms, the first source with direct knowledge said.
A spokesperson for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Supreme Court approach will come after Google suffered a setback on Wednesday when a tribunal turned down its request to block the antitrust ruling. The company argued implementation of CCI's directives will hurt its long-standing business model and consumer interests.
Google believes some of CCI's directives cannot be implemented, and the company "has no other option" than approaching the Supreme Court for relief, the source added.
Google licenses its Android system to smartphone makers, but critics say it imposes restrictions like mandatory pre-installation of its own apps that are anti-competitive. The company argues such agreements help keep the operating system free.
The CCI ruled in October that Google's licensing of its Play Store "shall not be linked with the requirement of pre-installing" Google search services, the Chrome browser, YouTube or any other Google applications.
Separately, Google has alleged in its filings the CCI's investigation unit copied parts of a European 2018 ruling against the U.S. firm, Reuters has reported. The CCI and the European Commission have not responded to those allegations.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app