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 popular Indian matrimonial app ‘Bharat Matri Muni’ as well as job search app ‘Nukri’ from its Play Store.
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 are the key implications for Indian developers following Google’s removal of critical applications from the Play Store?
**Interview with Dr. Anjali Verma, Technology Policy Analyst**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Verma. We’re discussing the recent controversy surrounding Google’s removal of several key Indian applications from the Play Store. Can you give us a brief overview of what happened?
**Dr. Verma:** Certainly. Recently, Google removed two significant applications from its Play Store in India—’Bharat Matri Muni’, which is a popular matrimonial service, and ‘Nukri’, a job search platform. Google stated that these apps violated its service fee guidelines, which are part of its broader policy framework for app monetization [[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/googles-removal-apps-play-store-india-cannot-be-permitted-minister-2024-03-02/)].
**Editor:** How has the Indian government responded to these removals?
**Dr. Verma:** India’s Information Technology Minister, Ashwani Vaishnaw, publicly criticized Google’s actions. He asserted that the removal of critical applications like these cannot be permitted and suggested that these moves by Google potentially undermine India’s digital sovereignty and the interests of millions of users who rely on these apps [[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/googles-removal-apps-play-store-india-cannot-be-permitted-minister-2024-03-02/)].
**Editor:** This sounds like it could escalate into a larger issue. What are the potential implications for Google and Indian developers?
**Dr. Verma:** Yes, the situation could have significant ramifications. For Google, it might lead to increased scrutiny of its policies and practices in India, especially considering the growing regulatory environment around tech companies globally. For Indian app developers, this incident raises concerns about the control and influence that large platforms like Google have over their ability to reach users. There could be calls for alternative app distribution methods or even regulations specifically targeting these monopolistic practices [[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/googles-removal-apps-play-store-india-cannot-be-permitted-minister-2024-03-02/)].
**Editor:** What do you think could be potential next steps for both parties in this conflict?
**Dr. Verma:** Google may feel compelled to engage in dialog with the Indian government and developers to find a way to align its policies with local market expectations. Conversely, the Indian government might consider implementing stricter regulations to protect its digital ecosystem. This dynamic situation could set a precedent for how tech giants operate in emerging markets [[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/googles-removal-apps-play-store-india-cannot-be-permitted-minister-2024-03-02/)].
**Editor:** Thank you, Dr. Verma, for your insights on this pressing issue. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds in the coming weeks.
**Dr. Verma:** Thank you for having me. It’s essential for us to keep an eye on such developments, as they impact not only the tech industry but also the users depending on these services.
