Dark day? Why Google pulled and restored popular Indian apps from Play Store and what happens next
It’s deja vu for Indian internet companies as they find themselves on a collision course with Google over its Play Store billing policy.
On March 1, Google delisted over a hundred apps by prominent Indian digital companies including Matrimony, Info Edge (which runs Naukri, 99acres, and Jeevansathi), Shaadi.com, and Kuku FM from Play Store for not complying with the company’s app billing policy for an extended period of time.
A day later, Googlereinstated a few appssuch as online classifieds firm Info Edge and matrimony firm Shaadi.com.
The development is the latest escalation in the ongoing standoff between the tech giant and local internet companies in the world’s second-largest internet market. Android currently powers 96-97 percent of smartphones in India, as per industry estimates.
In recent years, Google has faced intense backlash from Indian developers over its app policies, particularly after the search giant’s announcement in October 2020 that it will begin enforcing a mandatory integration of its Play billing system across the world.
Several app developers have mentioned the commission fee levied by the tech giant as “extremely high” and “unfair”.
Here’s what happened so far and what is next
What action did Google take?
Google took down over 150 apps by Indian app developers from Play Store, hours after the Android maker stated that it would
