Google Removes Popular Indian Apps From Store Over Fee Dispute

Google removed more than a dozen popular Indian apps from the Play Store on Friday over a fee dispute. This move follows Google’s warning to take action against developers who persistently violate these policies, marking an escalation in a three-year dispute in India, Google’s largest market by users. The company stated that 10 companies in India, including many well-established names not disclosed, had avoided paying fees despite benefiting from the platform.

According to Google, a small group of developers in India had over three years to prepare and comply with the Play Store’s payments policy but chose not to. These firms continue to comply with payment policies of other app stores, Google noted.

Several apps removed from the Play Store in India include those from matrimony platforms Shaadi, Matrimony.com, and Bharat Matrimony, as well as Info Edge’s Naukri and 99acres, audio storytelling apps Kuku FM and Stage, Alt Balaji’s Altt, and dating service QuackQuack.

Google Removes Popular Indian Apps From Store Over Fee Dispute

Android handsets dominate about 95% of the smartphone market in India. Therefore, being removed from the Google Play Store could pose an existential crisis for many of these apps.

Murugavel Janakiraman, CEO of Bharat Matrimony, stated that Google had removed about 10 of the Indian firm’s apps from the store. Bharat Matrimony is evaluating legal options, he told TechCrunch, adding that he believes Google has violated an Indian antitrust watchdog’s order in its removal of the apps. He described it as a “dark day for the Indian internet.”

Lal Chand Bisu, co-founder and CEO of Kuku FM, criticized Google, calling it “the most evil” partner to do business with and claiming that the Indian startup ecosystem was “completely” under its control.

Google defended its actions, stating that after giving developers more than three years to prepare and three weeks after a Supreme Court order, it is taking necessary steps to ensure its policies are applied consistently across the ecosystem. Enforcement can include removing non-compliant apps from Google Play.

Google stated that the Android and Play Store ecosystem collectively supported over 2.5 million jobs in India in 2022 and that only 3% of developers in India need to pay a service fee. Fewer than five dozen developers in India are subject to fees above 15%, the company said.

In recent years, more than a dozen firms in India have challenged Google’s Play Store billing policy, arguing that Google charges too high of a fee for its services. Companies that have filed petitions include Bharat Matrimony, Shadi.com, Unacademy, Kuku FM, Alt Digital Media, and Info Edge, among others. Disney’s Hotstar and Tinder have also challenged Google’s policy in India.

The Madras High Court rejected petitions from several Indian tech companies against Google’s new user choice billing system in January. Google emphasized its respect for local laws and its right to charge for the value and services it provides. The company encouraged developers to resubmit their apps by complying with the rules or partnering with alternative app stores to maintain continuity in the Android ecosystem.

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Onsa Mustafa

Onsa is a Software Engineer and a tech blogger who focuses on providing the latest information regarding the innovations happening in the IT world. She likes reading, photography, travelling and exploring nature.

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