Consumer protection watchdog CCPA will investigate ride-hailing apps for allegedly charging different fares for identical rides on Android and Apple devices, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday.

“This prima facie looks like unfair trade practice,” Joshi wrote on X, formerly Twitter, calling it a “blatant disregard” for consumers’ right to transparency.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has been directed to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report at the earliest. The investigation will extend to other sectors including food delivery and ticket booking apps.

“Zero tolerance for consumer exploitation!” Joshi added.

The probe follows media reports highlighting price disparities between mobile platforms for the same journey.

Prasar Bharti’s OTT platform ‘Waves’ crossed 1 million downloads in a month, said Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a post on the social media platform X.

The platform, unveiled during the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa last month, is “more than a platform—it’s a celebration of India’s rich culture, vibrant stories, and technological prowess,” he added.

The platform was launched to bring new content and revive classic shows such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. It has also hosted content by National Creator awardees and showcased films from FTII, Annapurna College, and other top institutions.

This milestone reflects India’s unbreakable bond with its cultural roots, said the minister. He called the platform not just an OTT, but a “full-fledged infotainment ecosystem,” with content in more than 12 languages, over 10 genres, with live TV streaming and 65 live channels, video-on-demand, free-to-play gaming, and online shopping via Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), he added.

According to Swiggy‘s fourth edition of its annual ‘How India Swiggy’d’ report, the biggest spenders in 2024 on its quick commerce platform, Instamart, hailed from Delhi and Dehradun. The users spent Rs 20 lakh each on Instamart.

This year, quick commerce grew exponentially, with Indians ordering items ranging from groceries, makeup and toys to vacuum cleaners and sexual wellness products on the 10-minute delivery platform.

The Diwali season also saw orders of over Rs 45 lakh on Instamart on brooms across India to clean houses and Rs 4.6 lakh on poker chips from Delhi. Delhi also ordered Rs 60 crore worth of noodles.

The report added that a person from Ahmedabad spent about Rs 8.3 lakh on gold coins on Dhanteras.

Bengalureans topped in the pooja and party essentials categories, competing with Mumbai, and ordered 1.8 times more wine and shot glasses, especially during the Diwali season, the report found.

A Mumbai-based pet-lover spent more than Rs 15 lakh this year on pet supplies, primarily dog and cat food. Meanwhile, a Chennai user spent Rs 1,25,454 on electronics, electricals and home appliances, including gaming earphones, smartwatches, an induction cooker, a sandwich maker, and a hair straightener. A mango lover spent Rs 35,000 on the fruit in May.

The most ordered items between 4 AM and 7 AM were milk, veggies, and eggs, while ice cream, cold drinks, and chips took over from 10 PM to 4 AM. Between 8-9 PM, the country ordered the most sanitary pads, and November saw the most orders of pain relief medication/spray.

Incognito mode on Instamart was introduced earlier this year. The report noted that most ordered items with the option were between 10-11 pm and included Masala-flavoured chips, Kurkure, and flavoured condoms, the report said.

The quickest delivery was completed in 89 seconds, covering a distance of 180m, the report added, while the cheapest order came in at Rs 3 for a pencil sharpener bought at 8:15 PM in Hyderabad.

The Rakhi season saw 2,85,000 deliveries under ‘order for others,’ and 273 chocolates ordered per minute with one user from Mumbai ordering 31 rakhis in a single order.

Canada saw the most international logins, followed by the US, Kuwait and Singapore ordering milk, dosa batter, and water.