The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has refused to grant an interim stay on the order of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) directing Google to change its business model in India. While admitting Google’s appeal, NCLAT has asked the company to deposit 10 per cent of the penalty amount of Rs 13.38 billion levied by the CCI, thereby granting some relief on the monetary front.
During the hearing, NCLAT said that Google had approached the tribunal on the last day of a 60-day time limit to comply with the CCI order and that the tribunal did not see any urgency for contention. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for April 3, 2023.
Earlier in October 2022, CCI had imposed a penalty of Rs 13.38 billion on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets with its Android mobile operating system (OS), and prescribed a set of key measures that the company had to comply with. Additionally, CCI had issued a cease-and-desist order in which the regulator prescribed eight corrective measures that Google Play needs to implement to correct the anti-competitive practices.
