Anupam Mittal, renowned entrepreneur and investor from Shark Tank India, shed light on Google’s Play Store payment strategy, emphasizing its exacerbation of the tech giant’s existing monopoly. Mittal expressed concern over the additional 15-30% charge that Google intends to impose on developers, terming it “brutal” and “criminal.”
Mittal aptly points out the tendency of monopolists, in this case, Google, to downplay critical issues. The focal point of contention is Google‘s insistence on charging 15-30% of any revenue generated by an app downloaded from their Play Store. Considering that Google already claims 20-50% of digital companies’ revenue in India through advertising, the additional burden raises serious questions about fair competition and market dominance.
Google’s dominance is further exacerbated by its bundled approach. The Play Store, being a pre-installed feature, limits developers’ choices in making their apps popular. The monopoly created through bundling forces developers to conform to Google’s terms if they wish to ensure their app’s visibility and success. This bundled burden leads to early-stage developers paying exorbitant percentages—ranging from 20-50%—of their revenue for app discovery, a practice Mittal condemns as both brutal and criminal.
Anupam Mittal Slams Google Playstore For Its Billing

Mittal’s vivid analogy of Google adopting an “arms dealer mindset” adds another layer to the concern. When a user searches for a specific brand, Google ensures that competitive brands are prominently displayed. This creates a scenario where brands are bidding against each other for visibility on terms they originally owned. Mittal accuses Google of using information provided by developers to actively work against them, fostering an environment where competitors are armed equally until they potentially eliminate each other.
In response to criticisms and concerns raised by various stakeholders, Mittal urges decisive action from regulatory bodies like the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). He emphasizes the need for intervention to prevent big tech from bullying Indian startups. The call for an alternative Indian third-party app store is seen as a potential solution to curb the unchecked dominance of Google’s Play Store.
Mittal’s plea for the CCI and the government to intervene is not merely a suggestion but a call to address a pressing issue that could stifle innovation and growth within the Indian startup ecosystem. Without regulatory intervention, Mittal warns that big tech companies will continue to exert undue influence, potentially hindering the progress of local startups.
Many startups pay anywhere between 20-50% as Google Tax to get distribution & protect their own brand from bidders. It’s the Digital East India Company 😥 https://t.co/XgzQcqhtuk
— Anupam Mittal (@AnupamMittal) December 5, 2023
Time for strong @PMOIndia & @CCI_India action
— Anupam Mittal (@AnupamMittal) December 6, 2023
we should but needs govt and @CCI_India intervention, which btw, had the best intention but moves slowly while big tech continues bullying our startups
— Anupam Mittal (@AnupamMittal) December 6, 2023