Google to restore deleted Indian apps

New Delhi: The multinational technology company Google has agreed to restore Indian apps it deleted from its play store after a dispute over service fee payments, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday, following pushback from the government and startups.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US firm on Friday removed more than 100 Indian apps, including popular ones by Matrimony.com, for not complying with its policy of paying a service fee when in-app payment options other than Google's are used.

The app removals sparked criticism from Indian companies, many of which have been at odds with Google for years and criticised its practices. Google has maintained that its in-app fee helps develop and promote the Android and Play Store ecosystem.

"... We believe that in the coming months, both the start-up community as well as Google would be able to come to a long-term resolution," the IT minister said.

Google and startups had multiple rounds of discussion with the government on Monday, following which the tech giant agreed to restore the delisted apps.

“We believe Google, and the startup community will be able to arrive at a long-term solution in the coming months,” the minister said.