Google makes changes to Android ecosystem in India after CCI setback

Google on Wednesday said it is revising its business agreements with phone makers in India in a bid to comply with the antitrust watchdog's directives after the Supreme Court of India refused to entertain its appeal.

Google said, "We take our commitment to comply with local laws and regulations in India seriously. The Competition Commission of India (CCI)’s recent directives for Android and Play require us to make significant changes for India, and today we’ve informed the CCI of how we will be complying with their directives."

"We are making some changes as required by the CCI’s directives. Implementation of these changes across the ecosystem will be a complex process and will require significant work at our end and, in many cases, significant efforts from partners, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and developers."

The statement also explains the changes in details

- OEMs will be able to license individual Google apps for pre-installation on their devices.

- Android users have always been able to customise their devices to suit their preferences. Indian users will now have the option to choose their default search engine via a choice screen that will soon start to appear when a user sets up a new Android smartphone or tablet in India.

- We’re updating the Android compatibility requirements to introduce changes for partners to build non-compatible or forked variants.

- User choice billing will be available to all apps and games starting next month. Through user choice billing, developers can offer users the option to choose an alternative billing system alongside Google Play’s billing system when purchasing in-app digital content.

- Android has always supported the installation of apps from a variety of sources, including via sideloading, which involves app downloads directly from a developer’s website. We recently made changes to the Android installation flow and auto-updating capability for sideloaded apps and app stores while ensuring users understand the potential security risks.

"We are expanding our online resources such as Help Center articles and FAQs to provide more detail on services provided by Google Play and how and when Google Play’s service fee applies, the statement added.

Google has been struggling in India ever since the CCI accused the company of abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in relation to Android mobile devices and ordered the internet major to cease and desist from various unfair business practices.

The anti-trust watchdog had also slapped Rs 1,338-crore fine on the tech giant and ordered it to make a series of changes in its business practices.

Meanwhile, Google said it will continue to appeal CCI's directions while implementing the changes to comply with the land of the law.