NEW DELHI/BENGALURU, March 15 (Reuters) - India's

antitrust body on Friday ordered a probe into Alphabet Inc's ( GOOG )

Google in an ongoing dispute with local startups over

its in-app billing system, saying the U.S. company implemented

its policies in a "discriminatory manner".

Indian startups have been at odds with Google for months

over the fee it charges for in-app payments. The dispute

escalated earlier this month after Google removed more than 100

Indian apps from its app store for violations related to

billing, though it restored them after the Indian government

intervened.

The startups had asked the Competition Commission of India

(CCI) to look into the matter, and the watchdog on Friday

ordered an investigation saying "Google is implementing its

policies in a discriminatory manner".

The CCI also directed its investigation unit to complete the

probe within 60 days.

Google did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for

comment.

The dispute centres on efforts by some Indian startups to

stop Google from imposing a fee of 11% to 26% on in-app

payments, after the country's antitrust authorities ordered it

to dismantle a system of charging 15% to 30% in 2022.

Google denies wrongdoing and says it charges the fee for

supporting investments in Google Play app store and the Android

mobile operating system, ensuring it distributes it for free.

The CCI has already spent months looking into startups'

complaint that Google is not following the earlier antitrust

directive that prevents it from taking adverse measures against

companies which use alternate billing systems.