MeitY looks into allegations of repackaged entries in govt-backed web browser challenge

A browser is a software application that lets you access and view content on the internet, such as web pages, images, and videos

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is looking into allegations that two runner-up entries in a government-backed web browser competition were repackaged versions of existing software, a government source said.

The scrutiny follows allegations that Ping and Bharat Web Navigator, which came second and third, respectively, in the India Web Browser Development Challenge (IWBDC), made only superficial changes while presenting it as an original creation.

Last week, MeitY declared Ulla, a browser developed by software firm Zoho, as the winner of the contest. The government had announced prize money of Rs 1 crore ($120,000) for the top entry, Rs 75 lakh for the first runner-up, and Rs 50 lakh for the second runner-up. However, the government source said the funds have not yet been disbursed.

The allegations, raised on social media by the user @DotSlashTX, claim that Ping Browser is largely a rebranded version of Brave, an existing open-source browser. The user also pointed to its GitHub repository as evidence of minimal development efforts.

Additionally, Ajna, the company behind Bharat Web Navigator, is a cryptocurrency-focused firm according to its LinkedIn, with critics raising further questions about its experience in browser development.

Responding to queries by Moneycontrol, a spokesperson acknowledged that Bharat Web Navigator (BWN) had not been updated since April 2024, as they paused development while waiting for the competition results.

They say their browser is still in its alpha stage and that they are now actively working on improvements.

The spokesperson further emphasised that they had received only only Rs 12 lakh in funding initially—far less than what was needed to develop a fully functional sync server.

"We invested our own funds to develop this feature. Our long-term roadmap includes integrating advanced Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) functionalities," the spokesperson told Moneycontrol.

They also allayed concerns about the company's apparent inexperience in browser development by claiming that their browser was blockchain based.

Meanwhile, responding to the allegations on X (formerly Twitter), Udit Bansal, the developer behind Ping browser acknowledged that it was built on Brave’s open-source stack but insists this was transparently communicated from the start.

He said their proposal to IWBDC organizers explicitly mentioned Brave’s codebase and that the source code was vetted multiple times during the competition.

Bansal also defended the browser’s originality, highlighting features developed specifically for the challenge, including a PDF reader with digital signing capabilities, a parental control system, and AI-powered summarisation tools.

Update, March 1, 01.48 am: Added comments by Ajna