On Friday several Indian apps got removed from the Google Play Store as an action against developers who have persistently not complied with its billing policy. Google dominate the Indiana market with over 90 per cent of phones based on its platform. google said that 10 companies, including many well-established ones, have chosen not to pay fees over the benefits there are receiving on the platforms.
Madres High Court and Supreme Court earlier this year considered an application from Google to charge the fee or remove the apps from Google Play Store. “the small group of developers had more than three years to prepare and comply with company billing policy but they chose to go against it,” said the google.
Google has removed over a dozen popular Indian apps from its Play Store . These apps include hiring platform Naukri, matrimony services Shaadi and Bharat Matrimony, audio storytelling platforms Kuku FM, Alt Balaji’s Altt, dating platform Truly Madly and real-estate manager 99acres.
The Indiana app developers who have opposed its charging 11 to 26 per cent commission on in-app payment now face a major setback on their business over the time they are offline.
Murugavel Janakiraman, founder of Bharat matrimony called it a ‘black day ’ for the country’s start-up ecosystem, while the KUKU FM’s founder called Google the “most evil company in the world”.
According to a source aware of an internal discussion of Google after the company blog post went live on Friday the review team scanned the application and they were found to be non-compliant with the billing policy after which they were pulled from the Play store.
Sanjeev Bikhchandani, the founder of Info Edge, said in a TV interview that Google had sent his firm a notice and said companies that are non-compliant with the billing policy will be delisted.
“we have been compliant since February 9 the date the supreme court order came out. there are no pending invoice of Google with us. all have been paid in a timely manner, “ he said in statement.
The lobby group internet and mobile association of the Indian “advised” google not to remove any app from the Google Play store.
IAMAI, an influential industry association that represents some of the largest Indian startups as well as international firms, said in a statement that it has advised Google — a member of IAMAI — to not delist any apps from Google Play. The industry body said it is able to confirm that Google had sent notices to at least four of the group’s members.
