On Friday, Google eliminated Indian applications such as Bharat Matrimony and Naukri from its Play Store, citing their non-compliance with the in-app payment rules.
Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed strong disapproval on Saturday regarding Google’s recent removal of certain Indian apps from its store, emphasizing that such actions “cannot be permitted” during an ongoing argument over service fee payments to the American company.
On Friday, Google withdrew numerous Indian apps from its Play Store, notable among them being Matrimony.com’s Bharat Matrimony and the job search platform Naukri, citing their non-compliance with the company’s in-app payment policies.
Minister Vaishnaw mentioned that he has engaged in discussions with Google and plans to hold meetings with the affected startups, highlighting the need for their protection in India.
“This kind of de-listing cannot be permitted,” Vaishnaw emphasized in his statement, taking a firm stance against the removal of the apps.
Google, when asked for a comment, chose not to respond.
The action taken by Google has ignited a wave of criticism from numerous startups that have been vocal and legally contesting various practices of the US tech giant for years, particularly its in-app fee policy. Google defends its fees, arguing that they are essential for the development and promotion of the Android and Play Store ecosystem.
The controversy revolves around the attempts of various Indian startups to prevent Google from implementing a fee ranging from 11 percent to 26 percent on in-app payments. This comes after India’s antitrust regulators instructed Google not to compulsorily apply its previous fee structure of 15 percent to 30 percent.
However, following two judicial rulings in January and February, including one by the Supreme Court, Google was effectively allowed to either charge the fee or eliminate apps from its store.
Google stated on Friday that some Indian companies had opted not to compensate for the “immense value they receive on Google Play.”
Matrimony.com has been significantly affected by these removals, with over 150 of its apps being taken down from the Play Store.
Murugavel Janakiraman, the founder of Matrimony.com, expressed significant concern to Reuters on Saturday, stating, “All our apps have been removed, and we are out of Play Store, which means out of business. If this continues for the long term, then we will have a significant drop in revenue.”
Info Edge, another enterprise impacted by the removals, saw its job search app Naukri and a real estate search app taken down. However, the founder mentioned on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday that many of the company’s apps had been reinstated, though details were not provided.
In a related event, Google had temporarily delisted the prominent Indian payments app Paytm from its Play Store in 2020, citing policy breaches. This action prompted Paytm’s founder and other players in the startup community to unite against Google, initiating their own app stores and pursuing legal actions.
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