On March 2, Google made a U-turn on its previous decision and agreed to bring back the Indian apps that were taken down from the Play Store due to a disagreement over service fees. This shift came after a meeting between Google officials and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Google holds a significant position in India, with its Android platform powering 94% of the phones in the country.
When Google initially removed these apps, IT Minister Vaishnaw expressed dissatisfaction, emphasizing that the government would not tolerate such actions and demanded a meeting with Google to resolve the matter.
In a statement to PTI, the minister affirmed, “India's stance is crystal clear, our policies are explicit. Our startups will receive the necessary support and protection. I've already reached out to Google and the delisted app developers; we're scheduled to meet next week. Such delistings cannot be condoned.”
Prior to this, Google had removed apps from 10 Indian companies, including prominent names like Bharatmatrimony and Naukri. The dispute revolves around Google's imposition of fees, which can be as high as 30%, on in-app transactions. Indian companies have long criticized what they perceive as unfair practices by the US tech giant. Google argued that these 10 Indian companies had exploited the in-app payment system without fulfilling the requisite service fees.
In its statement while removing the apps, Google stated, “Despite providing these developers with over three years to comply, including three weeks following the Supreme Court's directive, we're taking necessary actions to ensure consistent enforcement of our policies, as we do globally for any policy violations.”
The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) also urged Google not to delist any apps from the Google Play Store. IAMAI emphasized, “The affected IAMAI members believe that a substantive hearing of the case is ongoing in the Supreme Court of India, and Google should refrain from taking any punitive measures during this period.”
Previously, Google had briefly removed the Indian payments app Paytm from its Play Store citing policy violations but later reversed its decision.
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