Google has approached the Supreme Court of India, challenging a recent ruling by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) that partially upheld findings of anti-competitive conduct made by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
According to Bar and Bench, the tech giant has also contested a May 1 clarification order issued by the tribunal, which reinstated two key directives from the CCI. These include a requirement for Google to disclose its data policies and to stop using billing data to gain competitive advantage—both of which were struck down in the tribunal’s earlier ruling in March 2025.
The appeal, reportedly filed on July 21, is expected to be listed for hearing shortly. The case involves not only Google LLC but also associated entities such as Alphabet Inc, Google Ireland, Google India, and Google India Digital Services, according to a report by The Economic Times.
In a statement, a Google spokesperson said, “We have filed an appeal against the NCLAT’s recent decision regarding the CCI’s order. We remain committed to supporting the growth of the Indian app ecosystem for both developers and users.”
Background of the Dispute
The antitrust dispute dates back to November 2020, when the CCI launched an investigation into Google’s Play Store billing practices. The probe culminated in October 2022, when the watchdog levied a fine of INR 936.44 crore, citing abuse of dominance through mandatory use of the Google Play Billing System (GPBS).
Google was also hit with a separate INR 1,337.76 crore penalty in the same year for allegedly abusing its market position in the Android mobile device segment.
In the Play Store case, the CCI found that Google mandated use of GPBS for in-app purchases while its own apps, such as YouTube, operated outside this framework. The commission directed Google to allow third-party billing services, and refrain from imposing unfair or discriminatory terms on developers.
Google challenged the ruling before the NCLAT, which delivered a split decision in March 2025. While the tribunal upheld the CCI’s conclusions on abuse of dominance in app store and smartphone OS markets—particularly in favour of Google Pay—it dismissed other directions, including those related to denial of market access and stifling of innovation, citing lack of evidence.
The NCLAT also invalidated several preventive or “ex-ante” directives, stating that they went beyond the scope of the CCI’s statutory authority.
However, in a clarification issued on May 1, the tribunal reversed part of its own earlier relief, reinstating two data-related directives.
With partial reprieve reversed and regulatory scrutiny ongoing, Google has now turned to the Supreme Court, seeking a more favourable interpretation and reversal of the tribunal’s latest stance.
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