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"Pre-installed apps can be a weak security point and we want to ensure no foreign nations, including China, are exploiting it. India has ramped up scrutiny of Chinese businesses since a 2020 border clash between the neighbours, banning more than 300 Chinese apps, including TikTok. Currently, most smartphones come with pre-installed apps that cannot be deleted, such as Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi's app store GetApps, Samsung's payment app Samsung Pay mini and iPhone maker Apple's browser Safari. While European Union regulations require allowing removal of pre-installed apps, it does not have a screening mechanism to check for compliance like India is considering. An industry executive said some pre-installed apps like the camera are critical to user experience and the government must make a distinction between these and non-essential ones when imposing screening rules.

☆ India tech minister plans to meet startups on SVB fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Start-ups are an important part of the new India economy. I will meet with Indian Startups this week to understand impact on them and how the government can help during the crisis," Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the state minister for IT said on Twitter. "Spoke to some founders and it is very bad," Ashish Dave, CEO of Mirae Asset Venture Investments (India), wrote in a tweet. "Especially for Indian founders ... who setup their U.S. companies and raised their initial round, SVB is default bank. Software firm Freshworks (FRSH.O) said it has minimal exposure to the SVB situation relative to the company's overall balance sheet.

☆ India tech minister says to meet startups on SVB fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, March 12 (Reuters) - India's state minister for technology said on Sunday he will meet start-ups this week to asses the impact on them of Silicon Valley Bank's (SIVB.O) collapse, as concerns rise about the fallout for the Indian start-up sector. "Start-ups are an important part of the new India economy. I will meet with Indian Startups this week to understand impact on them and how the government can help during the crisis," Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the state minister for IT said on Twitter. "Spoke to some founders and it is very bad," Ashish Dave, CEO of Mirae Asset Venture Investments (India), wrote in a tweet. "Especially for Indian founders ... who setup their U.S. companies and raised their initial round, SVB is default bank.

[1/2] A view of damaged Apple supplier Foxlink is seen after a fire at its assembly facility in Tirupati district in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, India, February 28, 2023. A second source familiar with the developments said that Foxlink was a key supplier for Apple in India, and "there could be potential supply chain disruptions for iPhones made in India or shipped from India". Apple and Foxlink did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The incident is the latest problem to hit Apple suppliers in India, from where it is increasingly ramping up manufacturing and exports. Employees said the Foxlink factory makes charging cables used in iPhones, but it was not immediately clear if Apple has other suppliers for the cables in India.

[1/2] A view of damaged Apple supplier Foxlink is seen after a fire at its assembly facility in Tirupati district in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, India, February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Praveen ParamasivamCHITTOOR, India, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) supplier Foxlink's factory in southern India is unlikely to resume full operations for two months after a fire incident, raising concerns of supply chain disruptions for the iPhone maker, a source with direct knowledge told Reuters on Tuesday. The facility in India's Andhra Pradesh state, where Foxlink makes charging cables for iPhones, was engulfed in a massive fire on Monday that led part of the building to collapse to the ground. A source with direct knowledge said that Foxlink operates a total of 10 assembly lines in two separate facilities at the plant in Andhra, of which 4 were completely damaged and unlikely to resume operations for two months. Reporting by Munsif Vengattil and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi, and Praveen Paramasivam in Tirupati, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Apple supplier Foxlink halts production at Indian facility after massive fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Munsif Vengattil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesNEW DELHI, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) supplier Foxlink has halted production at its assembly facility in the Southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and evacuated 400 of its employees after a massive fire on Monday, two local government officials told Reuters. Management has estimated damage of 1 billion Indian rupees ($12 million) at the facility, he said, adding there were no casualties. An official for Foxlink did not respond to calls. ($1 = 82.7320 Indian rupees)Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in New Delhi, Editing by Louise Heavens and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] The Epic Games logo, maker of the popular video game "Fortnite", is pictured on a screen in this picture illustration August 14, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Illustration/File PhotoNEW DELHI, Feb 14 (Reuters) - U.S. firm Epic Games is challenging Google in an Indian tribunal for not complying with some portions of an antitrust directive, alleging that the tech giant is not hosting the gaming company's app store on Google's Play Store app. Maker of the popular video game "Fortnite", Epic operates its own app store, Epic Games Store, that offers games and other apps for download. The company claims in the filing it is "exploring launching" the Games Store app on Google Play Store and has been "adversely affected" by Google not complying with the CCI order. Epic is known for campaigns against Apple (AAPL.O) and Google for charging high app store commissions.

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. "There was negative impact over the years, we hope now consumers and device makers use our app more." About 97% of 600 million smartphone devices in India run on Android, according to Counterpoint Research estimates. Naval Chopra, a lawyer at India's Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, which has challenged Google in courts in the past, said Thursday's court decision was a landmark one.

Google challenged the directive in the Supreme Court saying it would hurt consumers and also its business, warning the growth of the Android ecosystem could stall. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which included the chief justice of India, extended the implementation date of CCI's directives by a week beyond Jan. 19, but declined to block the ruling despite Google's repeated requests. Google licenses its Android system to smartphone makers, but critics say it imposes restrictions such as mandatory pre-installation of its own apps that are anti-competitive. Google also says in its India filings that "no other jurisdiction has ever asked for such far-reaching changes". "We have not cut, copy and paste," N Venkataraman, a government lawyer representing the Competition Commission of India (CCI), told the top court.

☆ India antitrust body denies Google's allegation it copied EU's Android order
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A security guard stands outside the Competition Commission of India (CCI) headquarters in New Delhi, India, January 13, 2020. REUTERS/Adnan AbidiJan 19 (Reuters) - India's competition regulator on Thursday denied allegations by Google that investigators copied parts of a European order while ruling against the U.S. firm for abusing the market dominance of its Android platform. "We have not cut, copy and paste," N Venkataraman, a government lawyer representing the Competition Commission of India (CCI), told the top court. The comments came at a hearing in India's Supreme Court, where Google is seeking to block the CCI ruling. Reporting by Aditya Kalra, Arpan Chaturvedi and Munsif Vengattil; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NEW DELHI, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Google has been jolted after the Indian antitrust authority sought changes to how it markets its Android system, which powers 97% of smartphones in the world's second biggest mobile market. * Google should not impose any curbs in India on the practice of "sideloading", or downloading apps without using its app store. * Competitors and app developers should not be denied access to the programming interface of Google Play services, the underlying software system that powers Android devices. This directive is meant to ensure compatibility between apps on Play Store and third-party app stores based on Android variants, the antitrust authority has said. * The CCI asked Google not to restrict makers of Android smartphones from developing other devices, such as tablets or TVs based on modified versions of Android.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) in October fined Alphabet Inc-owned Google (GOOGL.O) $161 million for exploiting its dominant position in Android, which powers 97% of smartphones in India, and asked it to change restrictions imposed on smartphone makers related to pre-installing apps. "Google will be required to make far-reaching changes to the Android mobile platform which has been in place for the last 14-15 years." Google licenses its Android system to smartphone makers, but critics say it imposes restrictions like mandatory pre-installation of its own apps that are anti-competitive. The CCI in October ordered Google to not prohibit un-installing of its apps by Android phone users in India -- currently, one can't delete apps such as Google Maps or YouTube from their Android phones when they come pre-installed. "No other jurisdiction has ever asked for such far-reaching changes based on similar conduct," Google said in its court submissions.

MUMBAI, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Loss-making Indian telecom operator Vodafone Idea has sought at least 70 billion rupees ($846 million) in emergency funds from local banks, which are however reluctant to extend fresh loans, four sources familiar with the matter said. "Without that (capital injection) it looks difficult for the company to ...survive," said one top official at a state-owned bank. Vodafone Idea (VODA.NS), the telecom ministry, and State Bank of India (SBI.NS) - the country's largest lender which the company has approached for financing - did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. A feasibility study shared by Vodafone Idea with its bankers suggested the business might need a radical restructuring in order to survive, several of the sources said. An equity conversion by the government would be expected to raise its stake in the company to beyond 30%.

☆ Indian tribunal declines interim stay for Google on Android-related antitrust ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW DELHI, Jan 4 (Reuters) - An Indian tribunal on Wednesday declined Google's request for an interim stay on an antitrust ruling that ordered the tech giant to change its approach to its Android platform. The Competition Commission of India in October fined Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google $161 million for exploiting its dominant position in markets such as online search and through the Android app store, and asked it to change restrictions imposed on smartphone makers related to pre-installing apps. Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in New Delhi; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India tribunal declines Google's request to block Android antitrust ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Arpan Chaturvedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, Jan 4 (Reuters) - An Indian tribunal on Wednesday declined a request by Google to block an antitrust ruling that ordered the tech giant to change its approach to its Android platform, dealing the U.S. firm a setback in a key growth market. During the hearing, Google's counsel, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, repeatedly pushed for putting the decision on hold, or extending the date of implementation of CCI's directives beyond Jan. 19. He said the CCI's decision will force the company to change its business model and harm consumer interest. The CCI investigators "copy-pasted extensively from a European Commission decision, deploying evidence from Europe that was not examined in India", Google alleged. Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi and Munsif Vengattil in New Delhi; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India makes COVID test mandatory for arrivals from some countries, including China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW DELHI, Dec 24 (Reuters) - India has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travelers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, the health minister said on Saturday. Passengers from those countries would be put under quarantine if they showed symptoms of COVID-19 or if tests positive were, minister Mansukh Mandaviya said. Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in New DelhiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rahul Gandhi's cross-India march reaches capital city Delhi
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Anushree FadnavisNEW DELHI, Dec 24 (Reuters) - A cross-country march led by Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi reached the capital New Delhi on Saturday, hoping to regain some of the popularity it lost to the ruling Hindu-nationalist party. Gandhi's mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party leader Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra joined Saturday's march. The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has controlled the Congress party for decades but has also overseen its recent decline. Rahul Gandhi resigned as Congress president after the last election. The "Unite India Rally" march began in September in the coastal town of Kanyakumari on the southern tip of India.

☆ India panel recommends digital competition act to rein in Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Dec 22 (Reuters) - An Indian parliamentary panel on Thursday recommended the government enact a digital competition act to regulate anti-competitive business practices by Big Tech companies on its platforms. Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google and Apple (AAPL.O) have in the past faced scrutiny from the country's competition watchdog, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), over alleged abuse of the application market. Companies including Facebook (META.O), Twitter and Google (GOOGL.O) have for years been concerned with many regulations India has proposed for the technology sector, with companies complaining about excessive compliance burdens. Amazon, Google, Meta, Twitter and Apple did not immediately respond to request for comment. A specialised digital markets unit should be established within the competition watchdog, the panel said, adding that competitive behaviour of big tech companies needs to be monitored in advance and not after markets become monopolised.

[1/2] Police officers stand guard near the barricades during a protest rally by the supporters of the proposed Vizhinjam port project in the southern state of Kerala, India, November 30, 2022. An Adani Group official who declined to be identified said construction would restart on Thursday. The port has strategic importance for both India and Adani, an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man. The Adani Group says the port complies with all laws and has cited studies that show it is not linked to shoreline erosion, which the Kerala government says is due to natural causes. Adani has previously faced protests in Australia, where environmental activists protested against his Carmichael coal mine project in the northeastern state of Queensland.

☆ Indian state will proceed 'no matter what' with protest-hit Adani port-minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Munsif Vengattil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Police officers stand guard near the barricades during a protest rally by the supporters of the proposed Vizhinjam port project in the southern state of Kerala, India, November 30, 2022. The local fishing community, led by Catholic priests, has blocked construction of Vizhinjam port by Adani Group for almost four months, erecting a makeshift shelter at the port's entrance. The protesters say the huge project causes coastal erosion that has undermined their livelihoods, calling for a complete halt on the construction. "We want to complete the port project no matter what. "The possibilities being opened up by Vizhinjam port are unmatched by any other in India," Devarkovil said.

"We have denied permission to the rally by the Hindu United Front. The port is of strategic importance to both India and billionaire Gautam Adani, Asia's wealthiest man and the world's third-richest. Critics say Adani, who comes from the same state as Modi, has benefited from the policies of the federal government. Earlier, Hindu United Front member C Babu told Reuters they would go ahead with the rally. The Adani Group has said in court filings that the protests have caused "immense loss" and "considerable delay".

[1/5] Policemen are deployed as people from the fishing community protest near the entrance of proposed Vizhinjam Port in the southern state of Kerala, India, November 29, 2022. The port is of strategic importance to both India and Adani, Asia's wealthiest man and the world's third-richest. The Adani Group has said in court filings that the protests have caused "immense loss" and "considerable delay". The Adani Group says the port complies with all laws and has cited studies that show it is not linked to shoreline erosion. Adani has previously faced protests in Australia, where environmental activists had launched a "Stop Adani" movement to protest his Carmichael coal mine project in Queensland state.

☆ Police in India's Kerala step up security after clashes over Adani port
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Jose Devasia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Police officers are deployed as fishermen protest near the entrance of the proposed Vizhinjam Port in the southern state of Kerala, India, November 9, 2022. REUTERS/Munsif VengattilKOCHI, India Nov 29 (Reuters) - Police in southern India on Tuesday ramped up security around Vizhinjam port being built by billionaire Gautam Adani's group after scores of people were injured during clashes with protesters from a fishing community over the weekend. Kerala state police were sending reinforcements to the Vizhinjam area to prevent further violence, he added. The Adani Group says the port complies with all laws and cited studies that show it is not linked to shoreline erosion. Five years ago, Australian environmental activists had launched a "Stop Adani" movement to protest his Carmichael coal mine project in Queensland state.

[1/2] Police officers are deployed as fishermen protest near the entrance of the proposed Vizhinjam Port in the southern state of Kerala, India, November 9, 2022. REUTERS/Munsif VengattilKOCHI, India Nov 28 (Reuters) - As many as 36 police were injured in clashes with protesters in India's southern state of Kerala who were demanding the release of a person arrested during a demonstration against a $900-million port project of the Adani Group, officials said. The location of the port on India's southern tip is seen as key to winning business from ports in Dubai, Singapore and Sri Lanka. Over the weekend, protesters blocked Adani's construction vehicles from entering the port, despite a court order for work to resume, prompting the arrest of many of them. Police attacked the protesters, among whom were some priests, said a clerical official, Eugine H. Pereira, the vicar general of the archdiocese.

[1/2] Police officers are deployed as fishermen protest near the entrance of the proposed Vizhinjam Port in the southern state of Kerala, India, November 9, 2022. "We won't let them in," a protestor was seen screaming at police officers near the port entrance site. The Adani Group has said the project was in full compliance with all laws and that many studies in recent years have rejected allegations linking the project to shoreline erosion. The Kerala state government says erosion has occurred due to natural disasters. A previous attempt by Adani in October to move trucks out of the port also failed.

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