Alliance of Digital India Foundation Vs Alphabet Inc. (Competition Commission of India)
Competition Commission of India (CCI) has directed its investigative arm, the Director General (DG), to launch a probe into allegations that Google abused its dominant position in the online display advertising technology market. The order came in response to a complaint filed by the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), which represents Indian startups and app developers.
In its order dated July 31, 2025, the CCI decided to club ADIF’s complaint with a similar, ongoing investigation against Google, referred to as the “Publishers Case.” The Commission dismissed Google’s argument that adding another complaint would be a duplicative effort, stating that the existing investigation was not in its final stages and that ADIF represents major stakeholders whose input would be valuable.
The Core of the Complaint: Allegations Against Google’s AdTech Stack
The complaint, filed on January 8, 2025, centers on Google’s “AdTech Stack”—the suite of intermediary tools that facilitate the automated buying and selling of online display ads on websites and apps, a process known as programmatic advertising. ADIF argued that the market for open online display advertising is distinct from other forms of advertising, such as search ads or offline media.
