Google Agrees To Reinstate Delisted Indian Apps On Play Store After Govt Intervention
New Delhi: Google has agreed to reinstate all the delisted apps of Indian companies on its Play Store after government intervention facilitated dialogue to resolve a dispute over service fee payments.
Telecom and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who brought Google and the startups to the negotiating table, stated that the US tech giant has been supporting India’s technology development journey.
“Google and the startup community have met with us, and we have had very constructive discussions… Google has agreed to list all the apps,” he said. On Friday, Google removed apps from a dozen developers, including popular ones by Matrimony.Com and the job search app Naukri, for non-compliance with its in-app payment guidelines.
As the government strongly objected to the removal, calling it unacceptable, Google began restoring some apps on Saturday, provided they agreed to comply with its guideline to pay a fee of 11-25 percent on in-app payments or conduct financial transactions outside of the app.( Lava Blaze Curve 5G With Curved Display Launched In India At Rs 17,999; Check Price, Specs)
Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Information and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar held multiple rounds of discussions with Google and the app owners on Monday in an attempt to find a solution to the crisis, which some labeled as a dark day for the internet.
On Tuesday, Vaishnaw announced that Google has agreed to restore the status from Friday morning, i.e., pre-delisting. “We believe Google and the startup community will be able to come to a long-term solution in the coming months,” he said, indicating that the two sides will now sit down and resolve the issue of the levy of service charges.
India is the world’s largest consumer internet market for tech giants like Meta and Google. With the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government effectively using its geopolitical clout, they cannot afford to ignore the Indian market or act aggressively towards it.
A day after Google delisted the apps, Vaishnaw revealed the government’s stance in an interview with PTI when he said the removal was unacceptable and that “startups will get the protection they need.”
