Tech giant Google is being pushed to soften its stance in India after rejection by startup founders in the country about its policies.
Some startups are already looking for alternative lists for their apps through Android Application Package (APK) downloads on their websites. The founders said there are cases like the fantasy sports platform Dream11, which has garnered 100 million users without being on the Google Play Store list.
Startups are also demanding a “fair” game, as Google controls all technology from an operating system (Android) to the distribution of applications through its Play Store. Google is 95% of Indian digital consumers.
They may also consider setting up a non-profit organization to run a potential app store that includes Indian apps. However, this is still at an early stage.
After being banned on September 18, Paytm First Games returned to the Google Play Store on Tuesday. While the app isn’t working yet, a person familiar with the issue said Paytm will add new games shortly.
Google has begun meeting with various application developers in the country to “understand their concerns more deeply” and will also host “policy workshops” where it will answer questions from developers about their policies. In a blog post on Sunday, Google had said that Indian startups will get an additional six months to comply with their billing policies on the Play Store.
The government, which has been in listening mode so far, has asked startups to send a letter advising on the challenges, which the founders plan to send next week. An opinion will take hold after deliberations at various levels, a government official said.
“One could assume that discontent among Indian apps regarding the demands of the Google Play commission, coupled with a public policy and regulatory change favoring an indigenous app store, may have played a role in Google’s flexibility. Play, “said Akash Karmakar, Partner at the Law Offices of Panag and Babu.
Bipin Preet Singh, founding CEO of MobiKwik, a payment service, which was also temporarily removed from the Play Store in May, said that the postponement of Play Store billing is silly.
“… It has strict regulation in India, calling on tech conglomerates like Google to operate with ‘fairness’ and ‘transparency’ while allowing competition to flourish. They no longer (Google) appeal to the good of any company […] They cannot control the operating system, the distribution of applications and launch their own applications. These need to be decoupled and all the founders are looking for alternatives to list their applications, “Singh said.
Nearly two dozen startup founders recently spoke with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), including Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, against Google’s policies.
“They must eliminate 30% commissions in India and stop forcing tech companies to use only their Play Store billing system. All we ask for is fair play. Today, startups are at the mercy of Google. , where they can randomly remove any app from the Play Store, “said Murugavel Janakiraman, founder and CEO of Matrimony.com Ltd.
Startups are also calling on the Indian government to enact laws that include tech giants, such as Apple, Google, and Facebook, under the range of Indian institutions.
Snehil Khanor, co-founder and CEO of TrulyMadly.com, said Facebook and Google are taking the capital of India by colonizing the digital economy.
A Google spokesperson did not respond to Mint’s inquiries.
Sameer Jain, Founder and Managing Partner of PSL Advocates & Solicitors, noted that while Google “appears to be a softened stance,” the company has not indicated that it will eliminate 30% commissions on the Play Store.
He added that removing this India-only commission will be a much bigger challenge for Google as it is part of the company’s global policies.
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