Google has agreed to restore delisted Indian apps on its Play Store and will work on a solution to the contentious payment issue, IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on March 5, a day after Google and companies held meetings with the Union government over app delisting.
"Google and startup community, both have met with us. We have had constructive discussions. Google has agreed to list all the apps as on the way the status which was on Friday morning. That status will be restored," Vaishnaw said.
"Google has been supporting our technology development journey and we believe that in the coming months, both start-up companies and Google will come to a long-term resolution," he told news agency ANI.
On March 1, Google delisted over 100 apps of companies including Bharat Matrimony, Info Edge (which runs Naukri, 99acres, and Jeevansathi), Shaadi.com, and Kuku FM from Play Store for not complying with the company's app billing policy for an extended period of time.
The move was heavily criticised by the industry, with trade bodies such as Internet and Mobile Association of India urging the Big Tech company to reinstate the delisted apps.
The protests also prompted a response by minister Vaishnaw, who said that such delisting cannot be permitted and that tech companies and startups had been called for a meeting.
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