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'This is classic monopoly abuse': Zoho CEO Vembu on Google delisting apps; Netizens ask for Zoho Play Store

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Jaya Vishwakarma
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Zoho CEO Vembu on Google delisting apps

Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu recently took to X to criticize Google for removing several Indian developers' apps, including Info Edge's Naukri.com, Kuku FM, and Anupam Mittal's Shaadi.com, for not complying with its payment policy.

"What's happening with popular apps in India, such as Bharat Matrimony, Naukri, and others being delisted from the Google Play Store, is a classic case of monopoly abuse," Vembu wrote. "With the dominant position of Android in India, it is important that our regulators and courts get involved to level the playing field," he added.

Within a few hours, the post garnered over 150,000 views, with some users asking for a Zoho-owned Play Store platform. "Can we see zoho-playstore platform? Bhãrat owned indigenous appstore!" a user wrote in reply to Vembu's post.

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Earlier this week, Sundar Pichai-led Google delisted more than 20 apps, including all thirteen apps from Matrimony.com, such as Bharat Matrimony, Kerala Matrimony, and Jodii; three apps from InfoEdge: Naukri.com, Naukri Recruiter, and 99Acres; People Interactive’s Shaadi.com; Alt Balaji’s streaming service ALTT; Kuku FM; QuackQuack; and streaming services aha and Stage.

Following this, Shark Tank India judge and Shaadi.com CEO Anupam Mittal, in a post on X, said that it's a dark day for the Indian internet after Sundar Pichai's Google removed more than 20 apps from the Play Store, including Shaadi.com, for not complying with its billing policies.

Tagging CCI India and an unofficial account of the Supreme Court, Mittal said, "Today is a dark day for the Indian Internet. Google has delisted major apps from its app store even though legal hearings are underway."

"Their false narratives and audacity show they have little regard for India. Make no mistake," he said, adding, "This is the new Digital East India Co, and this Lagaan must be stopped!"

However, most users took Google's side, stating that it's the company's right to delist apps from their Play Store.

"All companies have received 3 years of advance notice from Google. Yet, they didn't comply. This is not a free market; it's a platform that Google has built to make money. You folks behave on the internet as if nobody knows anything about the case," a user wrote in reply to Mittal's post.

Google later restored few of these apps on the Play Store, including Shaadi.com and Naukri. 

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