In its initial public statement, Google referred to the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) antitrust directives as a “blow to digital adoption in India.”
“Over the past few years, while India underwent a fascinating digital transformation, Google has collaborated closely with this country. However, at a time when just half of India’s population is connected, the CCI’s directive “hits the ecosystem-wide efforts to boost digital adoption in the country,” according to a blog post by the internet giant. Google claimed that Android was essential to India’s mobile and Internet growth stories in an apparent effort to refute CCI’s assertions. The tech behemoth asserted that Android’s “free open source” nature has enabled device manufacturers to significantly lower the price of smartphones.
