Google delists several Indian apps, including Naukri, from Play Store over billing issue; restores later

Alphabet-owned Google has restored all Indian apps that it delisted from Android's Play Store over non-compliance with billing policy, ANI reported, quoting government sources. This step was taken after Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Electronics and IT, intervened.

"I have already asked Google to meet me. We will take all necessary steps to safeguard our startup ecosystem...This kind of delisting cannot be permitted," Vaishnaw said.

Google had delisted several well-established apps- including Naukri app, Naukri Recruiter, Naukrigulf Job Search App, Shiksha, 99acres, Bharat Matrimony, Truly Madly, Shaadi.com, Altt, Stage, Aha, QuackQuack, Frnd and Kuku FM among others- for not complying with the payments policy.

In a blog post, Google said, "For an extended period of time, ten companies, including many well-established ones, have chosen to not pay for the immense value they receive on Google Play by securing interim protections from court. These developers comply with payment policies of other app stores.

While we always try to work with developers to help them through our policies and find feasible solutions, allowing this small group of developers to get differential treatment from the vast majority of developers who are paying their fair share creates an uneven playing field across the ecosystem and puts all other apps and games at a competitive disadvantage."

Google had delisted apps from Play Store after Supreme Court denied interim protection to domestic internet firms. App developers had moved to the top court to challenge Google's enforcement of its app billing policy following the Madras High Court's dismissal of their plea.

'Dark day for Indian startups'

Calling delisting a 'dark day for Indian startups', Murugavel Janakiraman, founder and MD of Matrimony.com, said, "What we built in 20+ years got removed by Google in a single action...What Google is doing will make Indian digital startups unviable and cause significant revenue loss for our country."

InfoEdge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani said, "India needs an App Store/Play Store that is a part of digital public infrastructure like UPI and ONDC."