Indian authorities have fined Google 13 billion rupees ($161m; £144m) for using its Android platform to dominate the market.
The country’s competition regulator has accused the tech company of making “one-sided deals” with smartphone makers to ensure the dominance of its apps.
It has ordered Google to “cease and desist” from such practices.
Google has not yet responded to the fines or charges.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in a statement on Thursday that Google is “misusing” its Android operating system license for several smartphones, web search, browsing and video hosting services.
It said that Google is entering into forced agreements with players in the space to ensure that its apps such as Google Chrome, YouTube, Google Maps and others are used.
The statement added that the practice was stifling competition and giving Google continued access to consumer data and lucrative advertising opportunities.
The CCI has also asked Google not to force device manufacturers to pre-install its apps and should allow manufacturers and users to install apps of their choice during initial device setup.
“Markets should be allowed to compete on merit and the onus is on the dominant player (in this case, Google) to ensure that its conduct does not prevent that competition on merit,” the statement said. went.
Google is facing several antitrust cases in India and authorities are also investigating Google’s practices in the smart TV market and its in-app payments system.
The Android inquiry was launched in 2019 following complaints from users of Android smartphones.
The case is similar to that of Google in Europe, where regulators fined the company $5 billion for using its Android operating system to gain an unfair market advantage.
