Indian start-ups rejoice as SC upholds Android ruling against Google

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Startups in India cheered a decision by the Supreme Court on Thursday to uphold an antitrust order that forces Google to change how it runs its popular Android platform, saying the ruling would open the market for rivals and boost competition.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) ordered Google in October to make a series of changes, such as refraining from agreements that ensure exclusivity of its search services and mandatory pre-installation of its apps. It also told Google to allow third-party app stores to be housed within its Play Store.

In a major setback for the Alphabet Inc unit, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday declined Google’s request to block the antitrust directives,