Google delays Play Store billing change in India to April 2022

The California-based tech giant said that the delay will be be implemented only in India, while the new rules go live globally by September next year. It also said it will listen and respond to the startups’ concerns over the planned changes.

Just last week, Google said it would no longer allow apps on its Play Store to get around its payment rules. With its new policy, the company could receive as big as a 30% cut on in-app purchases. The move was swiftly met with criticism from some of the biggest players in India’s startup ecosystem, including executives from Paytm, MakeMyTrip, PolicyBazaar, and Sharechat.

The tech executives have also banded together to address growing concerns over Google’s “monopolistic” hold on India’s smartphone market. The startups are reportedly mulling over launching a Play Store alternative to reduce their reliance on Google’s offering.

Days after the reports surfaced, Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma announced the launch of Paytm Mini App Store, a “custom-build mobile website” that enables smaller developers and business set up mini-apps more affordably. The company said it currently offers no fees for app developers to list and distribute via the new platform.

Some companies in the program include Ola, NoBroker, FreshMenu, Decathlon, and Domino’s Pizza, among others.