The Indian government is actively seeking a durable resolution to the ongoing dispute between local internet companies and Google, particularly concerning the American corporation’s billing practices, as revealed by senior officials on Monday. This conflict escalated when Google removed apps from ten Indian developers off its Play Store on March 1, only to reinstate them later. The matter was discussed in a meeting with IT ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, which saw attendance from Google and Indian startup representatives.
The conversation aimed at finding a stable solution to restore harmony, amidst ongoing legal scrutiny by the Supreme Court and examination by the competition authority. Google had initially removed the apps due to non-compliance with its billing policy but later reinstated them, allowing them to use an external payment option without Google’s commission. This move is part of broader discussions on creating a framework to prevent such unilateral decisions by big tech firms against Indian startups, amidst broader legal and regulatory scrutiny over Google’s billing practices and their impact on the Indian tech ecosystem.
