In a significant development, Google has reinstated all Indian apps it had previously removed from the Play Store, following swift intervention by the Narendra Modi government. The move came after Union Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, took a firm stance, asserting that the delisting of these apps was not permissible.
Vaishnaw, expressing a strong commitment to protecting Indian startups, stated, “India is very clear, our policy is very clear…our startups will get the protection that they need.” The minister had called for a meeting with Google, emphasizing that such delisting actions could not be permitted.
“I have already called Google…I have already called the app developers who have been delisted, we will be meeting them next week. This cannot be permitted…This kind of delisting cannot be permitted,” Vaishnaw added.
On Saturday, Google informed the stock exchanges that it had delisted five apps from Info Edge, including Naukri.com, Naukri Recruiter, Naukrigulf, 99acres, and Shiksha, for non-compliance with the payments policy. Additional searches on Google Play Store revealed the removal of apps like Shaadi, Matrimony.com, Bharat Matrimony, Altt Balaji, and Kuku FM, among others.
The move triggered strong reactions from app developers and industry figures. Murugavel Janakiraman, founder of Bharat Matrimony, described the incident as a “dark day” for the Internet in India, while Vinod Kumar Meena, Co-founder of Kuku FM, accused Google of behaving like a ‘monopoly’.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar expressed concerns over Google’s dominance in the app ecosystem in India, stating, “I have raised concerns on the dominance of Google in the past, it controls more than 90 per cent of the app ecosystem in India.” Chandrasekhar highlighted the potential misuse of this dominance against startups and called for scrutiny by the government and the court to determine if the incident crossed into the territory of abuse and misuse.
The upcoming meeting between the government officials and Google is anticipated to address these concerns and seek a resolution that ensures a fair and competitive environment for Indian startups in the digital ecosystem.
- BJP President JP Nadda Issues Notice to Dilip Ghosh Over Controversial Remarks on Mamata Banerjee
- Ram Charan and Kiara Advani’s ‘Jaragandi’ Song from Game Changer Released
- Pre-Match Banter: Rohit Sharma’s Flying Kiss Recreation Adds Spice to MI vs SRH Clash
- Swami Smaranananda Maharaj, President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Passes Away at 95
- Stand-up Comedian Munawar Faruqui Breaks Silence on Social Media After Mumbai Police Detention
