Jan 23 (Reuters) - An Indian government body has sent

notices to ride-hailing firms Ola and Uber ( UBER ) over alleged

differential pricing for Android and Apple ( AAPL ) 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.

Ola and Uber ( UBER ) did not immediately respond to a Reuters

request for comment.

India is one of Uber's ( UBER ) 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.