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News on Medial
Mint Explainer: Who’s winning the app war – Google or Indian startups?
Livemint
·
1y ago
Medial
Google has temporarily removed the apps of several popular Indian startups, including Bharat Matrimony, Shaadi.com, Naukri, and 99acres, from its Play Store. The move came after Google sent notices to startups, stating that their apps would be restored if they started paying a service fee to be listed on the store. The action caused controversy within the Indian startup community, leading to government intervention and subsequent restoration of the apps. The debate surrounding app store fees originated globally, as regulators in the US and the European Union have been engaging with Google about its Play Store charges.
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ETtech Explainer: Why are Indian startups up in arms against Google Billing?
Economic Times
·
1y ago
Medial
Indian app developers have been raising concerns over Google's billing policies, claiming that they will affect their revenue. Apps like Shaadi.com and BharatMatrimony.com were delisted for not complying with Google's billing system but were later restored without in-app payment options. Startups argue that Google's near monopoly in the app publishing industry allows them to impose exorbitant fees. Google charges between 15% and 30% per transaction, while other payment aggregators charge almost zero to 4%. Startups are considering building their own app stores to avoid Google's high rates. The Payments Council of India suggests enacting laws to prevent such fees.
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Mint Explainer: What US' entrepreneur rule means for Indian startup founders
Livemint
·
1y ago
Medial
The US Department of Homeland Security has revised its International Entrepreneur Rule (IER) to allow non-citizen founders to apply for an authorized stay in the country if they demonstrate significant public benefit through their startups. The rule applies to entrepreneurs living abroad or already within the US, and their startup entities must have been formed in the US in the past five years and show potential for rapid growth and employment opportunities. Indian startup founders may benefit from access to funding opportunities and a diverse consumer base in the US, but challenges include stringent eligibility criteria and exposure to US taxation. The impact on Indian startup founders looking to flip back to India remains uncertain.
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Startups Mull Google Tax To Build Public Opinion Against Tech Giant’s Hefty Commissions
Inc42
·
1y ago
Medial
Indian startup founders are considering implementing a 'Google Fee' or 'Google Tax' on their customers as a response to the hefty commissions charged by the tech giant. The move comes after Google delisted the apps of several Indian startups for not complying with its new billing policy. Founders want to build public opinion against Google's billing system and push for government intervention. The startups claim that Google's commissions, ranging from 11-26%, are exorbitant and harm their businesses. Indian startups are also calling for the creation of a state-backed app marketplace to counter the dominance of big tech companies.
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ETtech Explainer: Why did Google delist popular Indian apps like Naukri, Shaadi, others?
Economic Times
·
1y ago
Medial
Google recently removed several popular apps by ten Indian developers from its Play Store due to non-compliance with billing policies. This move has sparked a dispute between Google and Indian developers over what they perceive as unfair policies. However, some of the apps have since been reinstated after they began complying with Google's billing norms. The Indian internet founders are calling for government intervention, while Google maintains that developers had ample time to prepare for the enforcement of its payment policy. The Indian government has summoned Google and affected startups for a meeting to discuss the issue.
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ETtech Explainer: Meet AI ‘Saba’ trained on Arabic, Tamil, Malayalam
Economic Times
·
5m ago
Medial
Indian startups developing Indic AI models face competition from global players like French startup Mistral AI, which launched Mistral Saba, a language model trained in Arabic, Tamil, and Malayalam. Mistral's multilingual push highlights the global interest in regional AI markets, with major companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Google also developing non-English language models. Despite the competition, capturing regional nuances remains a challenge for international players, offering a potential advantage to local Indian startups focusing on diverse languages.
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Indian startups urge Google to not delist any app developers from Play Store till March 19
Economic Times
·
1y ago
Medial
A cluster of Indian startups has written to Google requesting not to delist or take any precipitative steps against app developers until March 19 when their Special Leave Petition (SLP) is heard. This comes after the Supreme Court refused to restrain Google from delisting apps that do not comply with their billing policy. The startups argue that such actions would be detrimental to the ecosystem and request Google to exercise restraint. The SLP appeal challenges Google's alleged new user choice billing policy.
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Google Play Delists Indian Apps: Dark Day For Indian Internet, Say Startup Founders
Inc42
·
1y ago
Medial
Indian startups are criticizing Google Play for delisting their apps for not complying with the user choice billing system. According to founders, their apps were removed following a Supreme Court ruling on February 9 that declined relief to Indian app developers. The delisting came with short notice, not enough time for startups to respond. Some founders have expressed plans to take legal action against Google. The tech giant claims the delisted companies violated Google Play's policies while complying with payment policies of other app stores. This battle stems from the user choice billing system implemented by Google last year, which drew criticism from startups. Alternative app stores, such as PhonePe's Indus Appstore, have since emerged to challenge the dominance of Google Play.
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Indian startups are approaching CCI against Google's ‘brazen’ move
Livemint
·
1y ago
Medial
Indian startups have approached the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to intervene in their dispute with Google. The startups argue that Google's decision to delist around 200 Indian apps from the Google Play store was anti-competitive, and they are calling for the tech giant to reverse its decision. The dispute arose due to Google's imposition of fees on in-app payments made by Indian startups, which the startups claim to be an abuse of Google's dominant market position. Union Ministers have also met with Google and Indian startups to seek a resolution to the crisis.
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Google App Billing Policy: Startups Seek Pause On Play Store Delisting Till March 19
Inc42
·
1y ago
Medial
Around 30 Indian startups have appealed to Google not to delist them from the Play Store until the hearing of a special leave petition on March 19. The appeal comes after the Supreme Court refused to prevent Google from delisting apps that do not adhere to its billing policy. The startups argue that any precipitative action by Google would be "extremely detrimental" to all participants in the ecosystem, including startups and app developers. The legal battle began after Google reduced its commission for in-app purchases.
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Startups form new taskforce to take on Google on billing
Economic Times
·
1y ago
Medial
According to the Economic Times, a 40-member task force has been formed by Indian companies and startups to take on the Google Play Billing System (GPBS). The task force, constituted under the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), will decide on the course of action against Google Play. The task force will consider options such as impleading in court or issuing a statement to address the GPBS issue, where Google charges a 30% commission on in-app purchases. The IAMAI aims to protect the interests of Indian companies in the tech industry.
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