Google has initiated the process to restore Indian mobile apps which had been dropped from the Play Store over a dispute over service fees. The decision was taken following an intervention by Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The IT minister held a meeting with Google’s officials on Saturday to resolve the issue.
Google had removed apps belonging to 10 Indian companies on March 1, sparking controversy in one of its fastest-growing markets. Google dominates the Indian market as 94% of phones are based on its Android platform.
Following Google’s decision to remove the apps, Vaishnaw had criticised Google for removing certain apps from its Play Store. Vaishnaw had stated that the government will not allow these apps to be delisted and has called for a meeting with Google to resolve the issue.
The dispute primarily revolves around Google’s imposition of fees ranging from 11% to 26% on in-app payments. Indian startups have long protested against what they deem as unfair practices by the US tech giant.
(Inputs: ANI)