New Delhi: In a major shift for India’s smart TV ecosystem, Google will no longer mandate the use of its Android operating system or Play Store as default on smart TVs sold in the country.
The move follows a ruling by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which found Google’s practices in the sector to be anti-competitive.
The competition watchdog said Google’s policy of pre-installing its OS and app store on smart TVs restricted competition and created entry barriers for other developers.
The case, initiated by two Indian antitrust lawyers, prompted the CCI to investigate Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, for allegedly misusing its dominant market position.
In response, Google agreed to offer separate licenses for Play Store and Play Services for Android TVs, which will now come with a fee instead of being pre-installed.
The company has also been directed to inform all its TV manufacturing partners in India that they are free to use any open-source operating system, not just Google’s Android TV.
The changes mean consumers will now need to check which operating systems and app stores are available on smart TVs before purchase.
While platforms like Google Play and Amazon App Store currently offer the widest app selection, buyers are advised to review compatibility, app availability, and security features across different OS options.
The CCI also imposed a $2.38 million penalty on Google as part of the settlement. Although the ruling focuses on smart TVs, the regulator hinted that similar measures could be extended to other smart device segments in the future.
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