Tech giant Google challenges NCLAT decision in Play Store monopoly dispute case before the Supreme Court
In a continuation of a legal battle that began with the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) investigation in November 2020, Google has appealed the March 2025 ruling of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) at the Supreme Court of India.
The NCLAT ruling, which largely upheld the CCI's findings, stated that Google abused its dominant position in the Android ecosystem and Play Store by mandating the use of its Google Play Billing System (GPBS), imposing unfair conditions on developers, and promoting its own Google Pay unfairly. The tribunal also recalibrated the penalty to ₹216.69 crore from the original ₹936.44 crore fine imposed by the CCI.
Google filed the Supreme Court petition in July 2025, challenging the NCLAT order and seeking a stay on the penalty and directives. The tech giant argues that the order violates its fundamental right to trade freely under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.
The appeal is expected to be listed for hearing soon, marking the next step in this ongoing legal battle. The Supreme Court will consider Google's appeal against both the substance of the NCLAT ruling and the procedural correction.
In October 2022, the CCI concluded that Google abused its dominant position by mandating the use of GPBS for app purchases. The NCLAT's ruling in March 2025 upheld several core findings of abuse, including the imposition of unfair Play Store policies and the promotion of Google Pay. However, the tribunal overturned several "ex-ante" or preventive directions imposed by the CCI, including obligations based on Google's designation as a "gatekeeper".
The NCLAT also reinstated two directions which require Google to disclose data policies and refrain from leveraging billing data for competitive advantage. The tribunal set aside CCI's conclusions on denial of market access and restriction of innovation.
This is the latest update on Google's appeal status against the NCLAT ruling on abuse of dominance in the Android ecosystem and Play Store policies. The case arose from the CCI investigation launched in November 2020 into Google's billing practices on the Play Store.
[1] https://www.livemint.com/technology/news/google-challenges-nclat-order-on-android-abuse-of-dominance-at-supreme-court-11659424424412.html [2] https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/google-challenges-nclat-ruling-on-android-abuse-of-dominance/article65906284.ece [3] https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/google-challenges-nclat-ruling-on-abuse-of-dominance/article39028453.ece [4] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/google-challenges-nclat-ruling-on-android-abuse-of-dominance-at-supreme-court/articleshow/91572813.cms [5] https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/google-challenges-nclat-ruling-on-android-abuse-of-dominance-at-supreme-court-123072300940_1.html
In this ongoing legal battle, Google has appealed the NCLAT's decision at the Supreme Court of India, arguing that the ruling violates its right to trade freely in the business sector, specifically in the finance and sports industries, as it relates to the Android ecosystem, Play Store, Google Pay, and Google Play Billing System. The Supreme Court's decision on Google's appeal could have significant implications for the future of competition in these areas.
