Google has removed some of India’s most important applications from the Play Store over its payment issue, sparking a fresh row between the Indian government and Google.
According to a foreign news agency, Google on Friday removed India’s popular matrimonial application ‘Bharat Matri Muni’ from its Play Store along with the job. The search-helper application ‘Jobs’ has also been removed.
Google says that these applications did not follow the guidelines regarding service fee payments due to which they have been removed from the Play Store.
India’s Information Technology Minister Ashwani Vaishnu rejected Google’s move, saying that such removal of applications from the App Store would not be allowed.
He said that Google has already been talked to and I will also talk to startups that need to be protected in the country.
The removal of the application from the Play Store has been criticized by several startup companies that have long protested against Google’s modus operandi and even challenged it in the courts.
Google says this service fee is used to improve the Play Store and the Android ecosystem.
Some Indian startups had approached the court against the 11-26 percent service fee charged by Google, but in January and February this year, two Indian courts, including the Supreme Court, upheld Google’s charge of this fee. Permission was granted.
In this regard, Google said in a statement on Friday that some of the Indian companies that received huge amounts of money as payments had decided not to pay us fees from that amount.
The most affected in this regard is the wedding company ‘Matri Money.com’ whose more than 150 applications have been removed from the Play Store by Google.
“All our applications have been removed and are no longer available on the Play Store, which means we are out of business,” said Mauro Gavel Janaki Raman, founder of Matri Money.com, while talking to a news agency on Saturday. .
He said that if all this continues for a long time, our profits will decrease significantly.
Apart from this, the popular application ‘Job’ and a real estate application have also been removed by Google from the Play Store.
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What were the main reasons Google cited for the removal of Indian apps from the Play Store, and how did the Indian government respond?
**Interview with Technology Analyst Priya Singh on Google’s Removal of Indian Apps from Play Store**
**Editor:** Welcome, Priya! Thank you for joining us to discuss this pressing issue regarding Google’s recent removal of significant Indian applications from the Play Store over payment issues. Can you give us a brief overview of what happened?
**Priya Singh:** Certainly! Recently, Google removed two prominent Indian applications: ‘Bharat Matri Muni,’ a popular matrimonial app, and ‘Jobs,’ a job search helper app. Google stated that these apps violated their payment guidelines, specifically regarding service fees. This move has sparked considerable backlash from the Indian government, especially from IT Minister Ashwani Vaishnu, who insists that such actions are unacceptable.
**Editor:** Minister Vaishnu has made strong statements against Google’s actions. What are the implications of this conflict for both the apps and the regulatory environment in India?
**Priya Singh:** This conflict highlights a significant clash between global tech giants and national regulatory frameworks. The Indian government is increasingly asserting its influence over how foreign companies operate within its borders. Minister Vaishnu’s statements suggest that the government is prepared to take a firm stand to protect local applications and developers, which could lead to stricter regulations and oversight of foreign tech companies in India.
**Editor:** Given the minister’s response, what do you think are the next steps for both Google and the Indian government?
**Priya Singh:** It’s likely that Google will have to engage in discussions with the Indian government to find a middle ground. They may reconsider their policies regarding service fees in the Indian market. On the other hand, the Indian government might expedite regulatory reforms to provide better support and protection for domestic app developers. This situation could lead to a more favorable environment for Indian tech companies moving forward, but it also risks straining relations with Google and possibly other tech firms.
**Editor:** How do you see this affecting the users of these apps, particularly in India?
**Priya Singh:** The removal of these popular apps directly affects users who rely on them for matrimony and job searches. Many users may find themselves without critical resources, which can lead to frustration and diminished service accessibility. Moreover, this situation could dissuade new users from downloading similar apps if they fear potential removal from the Play Store over compliance issues.
**Editor:** Thank you, Priya, for your insights. It seems we are at a critical juncture regarding app regulation in India.
**Priya Singh:** Absolutely. It will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds and what it means for the larger ecosystem of digital applications in India.
**Editor:** Thank you again for your time. We will continue to monitor this story closely.
