MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar addresses startups' concerns over Google's billing policy, assures long-term solution
On March 1, Google said it would start removing 10 Indian app developers from its Play Store in India if developers do not adhere to the platform's billing policies.
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MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar has committed to addressing the billing policy concerns faced by startups by engaging with Google to find a lasting solution. Chandrasekhar, spoke to start up founders in a virtual meet on March 4. Those in attendance included the likes of Ravi Mittal, founder and CEO, dating app QuackQuack, Murugavel Janakiraman, CEO of BharatMatrimony, Anupam Mittal, CEO of the Shaadi.com, Hitesh Oberoi, managing director, InfoEdge and others.
The minister also put out a post on social media saying, “Today, startups presented their concerns regarding a few policies of Google. Assured them that MeitY will take it up with Google for a sustainable and long-term solution,” he said in his X post.
Start up founders also respond to the post.
“Thank you for a patient ear. Look forward to a continued dialogue for both an immediate fix and a longer-term sustainable solution,” shaadi.com's Mittal posted.
On March 1, Google said it would start removing 10 Indian app developers from its Play Store in India if developers do not adhere to the platform's billing policies.
There has been a deep and decisive transformation in India’s #startup ecosystem over the past 10 years. From fewer startups in 2014, we now have more than 1 lakh startups and 113 unicorns, with the potential to add 10 lakh startups and 10,000 unicorns in the coming decade.
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳(Modiyude Kutumbam) (@Rajeev_GoI) March 4, 2024
Under… pic.twitter.com/Qy8JAiXCGR
This move was a part of a three-year-long issue, with 10 companies in India, including some major names not disclosed by Google, allegedly avoiding payment of fees despite benefiting from the platform. While several of the apps were reinstated, Indian startups believe they face unfair treatment and inferior terms compared to global counterparts.
In India, Google allows app developers to sell in-app content only on the pre-condition that its own payment system, GPBS, is integrated as a payment option within their apps.
As per startup owners there is disparity in Google's insistence on integrating its payment system, GPBS, for in-app content sales in India, unlike the flexibility offered to developers in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK). Indian startups argue for a billing system akin to the EEA and UK, allowing the use of third-party billing systems without mandatory integration with GPBS.
