Google has reinstated Info Edge (India) Ltd. mobile apps like Naukri Jobseeker, Naukrigulf Job Search, and 99acres on the Play Store a day after they were taken down due to a dispute on service fee payments.
The move comes after the government took a strong view against such a decision by the tech giant. According to a PTI report, the startups concerned have been called for a meeting next week with the Government.
"India is very clear, our policy is very clear...our startups will get the protection that they need," IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told PTI in an interview. The minister said the government will be meeting Google and app developers who have been delisted, next week, to resolve the dispute.
Acknowledging the restoration of the apps, Info Edge said that new users wishing to download and use the company's mobile applications can now do so from the Google Play Store.
However, Naukri recruiter and Shiksha and yet to be reinstated. The company is working with Google to re-instate the rest of the mobile applications, it said in an exchange filing on Saturday.
After the mobile apps were brought back to the Play Store, Great crisis management, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Info Edge founder said that this was a great crisis management. "Many of the Info Edge apps are back on the Play Store. An effort very well led by Hitesh and the entire Info Edge team. People were up all night for this. Great crisis management," he said in a post on X.
Many of the Info Edge apps are back on the play store. An effort very well led by Hitesh and the entire Info Edge team. People were up all night for this. Great crisis management https://t.co/2VbI0JmHuY
The dispute is over Google imposing a fee of 11-26% on in-app payments after anti-competition body CCI ordered scrapping of an earlier system of charging 15-30%.
Google earlier said that 10 companies in the country, including many well-established had avoided paying fees despite benefiting from the platform.
The removal of the mobile applications from the Google Play Store comes as a surprise, since this action was taken by Google without giving due and sufficient notice, Info Edge earlier said in an exchange filing.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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