Anupam Mittal Calls Google Digital East India Company

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The founder and CEO of People Group, Anupam Mittal, has criticized Google’s new user choice billing system, calling the tech giant the “Digital East India Company.” Mittal claimed that Google’s payment norms violate the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) antitrust directives from October 2022. He also compared the commission charged by Google to the lagaan paid by Indian farmers during the colonial era. People Group operates several companies, including Shaadi.com, Makaan, and Mauj. Mittal stated that complying with the new billing policy would be illegal and that his company would not give up the fight easily. The implementation deadline for the user choice billing system is April 26, and a verdict from the Delhi High Court is expected soon. The outcome of the case could have significant implications for Indian startups and set a precedent in their fight. The plea called the new billing system a ‘cloaked version’ of the previous billing policy, which charged developers 15%-30% commission, and termed the new policy an attempt by Google to circumvent the CCI’s antitrust directions. It also claimed that the new norms project a ‘hoax of giving liberty to app developers to opt for third-party payment processors’, while the marketplace remains vulnerable to Google’s abuse of its dominant position. The policy think tank ADIF, backed by Indian startups such as Mapmyindia, Paytm and People Group competitor Matrimony, filed a plea before the Delhi High Court seeking to keep Google’s new user choice billing system in abeyance. They argued that the new billing system is a ‘cloaked version’ of the previous billing policy, which charged developers 15%-30% commission, and that it is an attempt by Google to circumvent the CCI’s antitrust directions. The plea also claimed that the new norms project a ‘hoax of giving liberty to app developers to opt for third-party payment processors’, while the marketplace remains vulnerable to Google’s abuse of its dominant position. A verdict on the matter is expected soon.