“Today is a dark day for India Internet,” founder and CEO of People Group and Shaadi.com, Anupam Mittal said as he came out hitting hard against Google’s action of delisting Indian apps.
Mittal wrote on X, “Google has delisted major apps from its app store even though legal hearings are underway @CCI_India & @indSupremeCourt Their false narratives & audacity show they have little regard for India. Make no mistake – this is the new Digital East India Co and this #Lagaan must be stopped! Pls RT and #SaveOurStartups”
Earlier today, Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani called for the setting up of India’s own mobile app store as a part of its ‘Digital Public Infrastructure’ after Google’s action against 10 companies in India. “Indian companies will comply – for now. But what India needs is an App Store / Play Store that is a part of Digital Public Infrastructure – like UPI and ONDC. The response needs to be strategic @PiyushGoyal @PiyushGoyalOffc,” Bikhchandani on X.
On March 1, Google warned it may remove the apps of 10 companies in India for not paying a service fee for the use of its Play Store platform in India. Separately, Reuters reported that Matrimony.com and InfoEdge-owned apps are among the apps that could get delisted.
Info Edge-owned recruitment business Naukri and real estate business 99acres have been delisted from Google Play Store, Bikchandani told Moneycontrol, in the latest development.
This is part of Google’s drive to purge apps from Indian app developers which the tech giant said have not complied with its app billing policy for an “extended period of time”. The company’s matrimony business JeevanSathi is still available on Play Store at the time of writing this article.
Bikhchandani however told Moneycontrol that they have been compliant with Google’s app policies since February 9, when the Supreme Court passed an interim order in a case against Google’s app billing policy. He said that all dues of Google have been paid in a timely manner.
Bikhchandani had also earlier told CNBC-TV18, “We received notice from Google, were compliant with Play Store policies. There are no pending invoices of Google with us. All have been paid in a timely manner. Notice does not say we are being delisted, notice says if you are non-compliant, you will be delisted.”
Matrimony.com said its legal team is reviewing the notice from Google and “exploring next steps”.