An Indian government body has sent notices to ride-hailing firms Ola and Uber over alleged differential pricing for Android and Apple phones, the country's consumer affairs minister, Pralhad Joshi, said in a post on X on Thursday.
The move comes after several reports by local media and as users complained on social media that iPhone users were charged higher prices for the same ride than those using phones that ran on Android operating systems.
The minister said he would direct the Central Consumer Protection Agency (CCPA) to also look into differential pricing strategies used by other sectors, including food delivery and online ticketing portals.
India is one of Uber's biggest markets outside the United States and Canada, where it is locked in a fierce battle with SoftBank-backed Ola, local rival Rapido, as well as all-electric ride hailing app BluSmart.
Joshi had last month termed differential pricing an "unfair trade practice" that is a "blatant disregard" to consumer rights.
