A store is born: Why Indus is the right Google challenger at the right time

Digital East India Company.

That’s what Indian founders have labelled Google over the past week after the search giant delisted scores of homegrown apps from its Play Store, citing non-payment of service fees by their publishers. It came as a shock, of course, with popular apps, including Naukri.com, Shaadi.com, 99acres, Kuku FM, Altt, Jeevansathi, BharatMatrimony, TrulyMadly, QuackQuack, STAGE, Shiksha, and 150 others deplatformed in one fell swoop.

Four days later, following government intervention, Google went on to “temporarily reinstate” the apps. This, though, is more of a stalemate than a resolution.

Founders allege that several apps are still excluded from the Play Store or have been reinstated but without in-app billing systems, which is as good as being delisted since the business cannot earn revenues. They argue that Google is continuing to force its monopolistic policies on app developers despite a 2022 antitrust directive from the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

“This is appropriately a matter for the CCI to hear and decide upon. It is likely that the SC may also ask the app developers to go there, though with a directive [for CCI] to hear the matter expeditiously,” Abhishek Malhotra, ex-founding partner at TMT Law Practice and a member of the Bar Councils of Delhi and California, tells The CapTable.