MapmyIndia CEO: After CCI fine, Google is ‘not infallible’

NEW DELHI: CCI’s action against Google over abuse of monopoly has resulted in a “seismic shift” for India’s indigenous digital ecosystem and will see local companies come out stronger as they challenge the US technology giant’s stronghold across domains such as mapping, search, app store and Android OS, homegrown mapping and IT services company MapmyIndia’s CEO has said.

MapmyIndia, which began operations in 1995 (almost three years before Google started business in the US), feels that Google’s “anti-competitive and monopolistic” grip on the digitally-strong Indian market will loosen after the CCI’s order against the company which not only slapped two penalties on the tech giant but also ordered it to “cease and desist” from carrying out activities through which it was found to be abusing dominance.

“CCI’s order and subsequent developments herald a new era in India’s digital ecosystem. Google had been operating unfairly, dominantly, monopolistically and without fear. It was continuously strengthening its vice grip on the Indian consumer and why I say unfair is because it was perpetuating one monopoly basis another monopoly… the CCI has called it out,” Rohan Verma, CEO & executive director of MapmyIndia told TOI. He added that “Google is not infallible”. “I think consumers will want what is best. Till now Google was unfairly shaping what was accessible to consumers by forcing the pre-loading of its apps,” he said.
Ready to Master Stock Valuation? ET’s Workshop is just around the corner!