The Competition Commission of India (CCI) India has ordered an investigation against Google, saying its initial view was that the US tech giant may have indulged in unfair trade practices in its dealing with news publishing companies.

CCI has stated in its order that Google dominates certain online search services in the country and may have imposed unfair conditions on news publishers.

Digital News Publishers Association, which represents the digital arms of some of India's leading media houses, has complained that Google has denied fair advertising revenue to its members.

"In a well-functioning democracy, the critical role played by news media cannot be undermined. It appears that Google is using its dominant position in the relevant markets to enter/protect its position in the market for news aggregation service," the order states.

Media organisations, which have been losing advertising revenue to online aggregators such as Google, have complained that tech companies use  their news reports thrown up in search results without making any payment for them.

The CCI order also highlighted new rules in France and Australia that have led to licensing deals around the world running into billions of dollars.