Paytm, Dream11 take Google billing row to MeitY

BENGALURU: Several of India’s top startup entrepreneurs met virtually with government officials on Saturday to escalate their concerns over American internet major Google’s billing policies and dominance of the country’s digital applications market, multiple people privy to discussions told ET.Nearly forty entrepreneurs including Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma, GOQii’s Vishal Gondal, Anand Lunia of India Quotient and Gautam Mago of A91 Partners, as well as the founders of Innov8, Bharat Matrimony, upGrad, Dream11, and TrulyMadly presented their views to the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) secretary Ajay Sawhney, who chaired the meeting, sources said. “The short-term issue is Google’s billing policy. The long-term issue is Google’s 95% control of the app ecosystem. They dominate the Internet in India,” said BharatMatrimony Group’s CEO Murugavel Janakiraman.“It is like Google is the emperor and all the (Indian) internet companies are its slaves. We will decide what’s the next step,” he said. The irate founders are seeking government intervention to first bring a stay order on the compulsory 30% commission on in-app purchases on the Google Play Store, which the tech giant will enforce from next year. In addition, the startup executives also highlighted what they view as Google’s “heavy handed policies” that are used to ban apps on its Play Store.MeitY had also invited representations from startups not opposed to Google’s policies, in order to ensure a fair hearing, several people aware of the matter told ET. Those present at the meeting said the discussions on Saturday were “preliminary” and that “no official representations were made”.“We were asked to share our concerns in writing with the department (MeitY) soon,” said a founder on condition of anonymity. Separately, a government official told ET that the ministry was also considering multiple other representations on the issue, without divulging any further details.Emails sent to MeitY secretary Sawhney, Google, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, and upGrad did not elicit a response until press time. Dream11 declined to comment. Sources said the discussions revolved largely around the recent temporary ban on Paytm by Google for what it said were “violations of its Play Store policies”.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/33v9ATJ