Fee row: Google starts removing Indian apps

Shaadi.com, Altt, 99acres & Naukri among those taken off Play Store

- JATIN GROVER

GOOGLE ON FRIDAY started removing some of the popular homegrown apps from its Play Store, over a dispute on service fee payments, prompting some of the apps to term it a "Digital East India Company". The list so far includes matrimony platforms such as Shaadi.com,Matrimony.com, Bharat Matrimony; Balaji Telefilms'Altt (formerly ALTBalaji), audio platform Kuku FM, dating service Quack Quack, Truly Madly, Naukri, and 99acres, among others.

The removal from Play Store is expected to affect the business of these companies as new users would find it difficult to download them. Startups, in particular, would be badly hit. Users who have already downloaded the apps concerned would, however, not face any difficulty accessing them.

The delisted apps can be downloaded from the web or third-party app stores.

Google said that 10 companies in the country, including many well-established ones, had avoided paying fees despite benefiting from the platform. It did not name the firms but many companies, including InfoEdge's Jeevansathi, Shaadi.com and TrulyMadly, said they have received the notice of non-compliance from Google.