Startup founders seek govt-monitored app store in India to compete Google, Apple

The startup founders across the country have demanded the government to back them in creating an app store to compete the existing app stores in India by Google and Apple.

According to Economic Times, a group of startup founders recently scrutinize ways to come up with an app store that could host local apps.

Group of founders including Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Yashish Dahiya of Policybazaar, and Matrimony.com’s Murugavel Janakiraman have sought app neutrality. “If India has net neutrality, why can’t we have app neutrality? A body monitored by the government can ensure app neutrality, fairness, and openness,” Jayaraman was quoted by ET as saying.

Another participant in the group, Visha Patel, founder of CCAvenue said, “The government has to certainly step in and take the lead on this. If there is some kind of restriction imposed due to geopolitical tensions, an Indian app store can save the day for everyone.” The founders have expressed their dissent over Google’s play store guidelines, which give it the right to take a 30 percent cut on in-app purchases.

“The company is forcing developers to use its own payment gateway, it is also controlling how ads appear and there are issues on search; they seem to have an unabated power over the entire ecosystem which we are against,” Patel told ET.