Google has started supporting a third-party billing system for Google Play Store purchases in India as the Android maker begins to comply with local regulatory guidelines in the key overseas market.
Google said in a support page on Thursday that it was offering “all developers” serving users in India the option to use an alternative billing system and outlined the steps developers need to take to take advantage of it. option. The change is in “response to recent regulatory developments” in the South Asian market, the company said.
If a user pays through an alternative billing system, Google Play’s service fee will be reduced by 4%, the company said.
Google was fined $161 million by India’s Competition Commission last year and ordered to make a series of tough changes to its business practices in the country. While Google continues to challenge the ruling, it said last month it would comply with the order.
Google said it would also give consumers the option to switch their favorite search engine to Android and allow smartphone vendors nationwide to license individual apps for pre-installation on their Android devices.
However, some have argued that Google is not fully complying with the order. Epic Games, the video game giant behind popular Fortnite title, alleged earlier this month that Google is not fully complying with the Indian Supreme Court’s order, choosing the key overseas market to step up its global battle with the Android manufacturer.
In a petition to an Indian court, Epic alleged that despite its commitment to make key changes to business practices surrounding Android, Google does not allow downloading of competing app stores through the Google Play Store and Indian consumers are also unable to uninstall preloaded apps. Google apps from their handsets.
Google warned last month that implementing changes to the ecosystem “will be a complex process and will require significant work on our end and, in many cases, significant effort from partners, device makers original equipment (OEM) and developers”.
India is a major market for Google, where it has over half a billion users. Over 97% of all smartphones in India are powered by Google’s Android mobile operating system, according to research firm Counterpoint. Google has poured billions into the country over the past decade and is in the process of investing another $10 billion.
“Our commitment to Indian users and the country’s digital transformation is unwavering,” the company said last month. Google previously warned that following regulatory guidelines could lead to the proliferation of uncontrolled apps that pose threats to individual and national security.
