A case against Google ‘lagaan’

The age of technology and information has ushered in solutions to age-old problems, but it has also brought challenges that need urgent attention. India, a global leader in IT solutions with a pool of talent and innovation, may be on the verge of a technological dissemination as Google’s lagaan, an unwarranted, 15–30 per cent commission charge levied on in-app purchases and subscriptions, poses a new threat to the growth of India’s digital and national economies.

India’s digital payments infrastructure, gaining global significance in a brief period, has ensured a transparent, equitable, and easily accessible interface for seamless and secure transactions. Meanwhile, Google has leveraged its app marketplace to impose entry barriers for other digital payment service providers,