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‘India needs to safeguard developers, consumers from app stores’ practices’

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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is currently investigating both Apple and Google for their app store policies, particularly their payments policies, and the decision will play a key role in determining how Indian policymakers look at the issue in the future, a new report said on Wednesday.

Google-owned Android currently dominates the India market with 95.1 per cent market share while Apple iOS has 3.93 per cent share.

Both Google and Apple charge either 15 or 30 per cent commission on purchase of paid apps and in-app purchases (IAPs) in the country.

Starting October this year, Google — which has a mobile OS market share of over 95 per cent in India — will effectively bar developers from using any other method to accept payments from customers, thus forcing the payment of its commission.

According to the report by The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) and The Quantum Hub, several Indian developers have objected to the quantum of the commissions, and the lack of choice in picking a payments system, terming the proposed policy unreasonable.

“Google’s new rules could significantly dent developers’ profit margins, affecting both business viability and innovation,” said the report.

The ADIF said that it welcomes the steps taken by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance to hold a meeting with Big Tech companies with the aim of deliberating issues related to their competitive practices.

“The dominant position enjoyed by the gatekeepers of the app ecosystem can severely hurt competition and innovation in the market, while also adversely affecting the ecosystem in many ways,” said Sijo Kuruvilla George, the Executive Director of ADIF.

With the CCI currently investigating both App Store and Google Play’s store policies, particularly their payments policies, the need of the hour is a balanced approach, and the CCI’s decision will likely play a key role in determining how policymakers look at the issue in the future, the report stressed.

Apple is currently under investigation from regulators in the US, Europe, Japan, Australia and India, while Google is also facing proceedings in the US, Europe and India, among other countries.

In December 2021, the Netherlands competition regulator (ACM) found Apple’s App Store in violation of its competition laws.

It has since levied a series of (weekly) penalties against Apple for what it asserts is continued non-compliance with its order and these fines totalled over $55 million with the regulator threatening another round of fines “with possible higher penalties”.

In March, France also joined the fray with the Paris Commercial Court levying a fine of 2 million euros on Google and asking it to rewrite clauses in its developer agreements that were deemed unbalanced within three months.

In August 2021, South Korea passed a law barring app stores from forcing developers to use the app stores’ proprietary billing system, becoming the first such major legislation worldwide.

Another legislation — The Digital Markets Act — is currently under consideration in the EU.

“It’s, thus, commendable that legislators are taking notice of such issues and actively taking steps to address the anti-competition practices of big players,” said George, adding that there is an urgent need to ensure fair competition and improve choices for both developers and consumers.

Business

Fed Finally Cuts Interest Rates, But What’s Next For India’s Markets & Gold Prices?

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Mumbai: The US central bank (Federal Reserve) has cut interest rates for the first time in 2025. This step is expected to support the US economy. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the decision was not due to political pressure, even though President Donald Trump had been demanding a rate cut for a long time.

The Fed has also hinted that it may cut rates two more times this year. This is to help the weak US job market. In the recent two-day meeting, almost all Fed members supported the 25 basis points cut. Only one member, Stephen Miran, voted against it.

Stephen Miran works with the White House and was earlier Trump’s economic advisor. He wanted a bigger cut—50 basis points. Trump had promised rate cuts during his election campaign.

New interest rate: 4 percent to 4.25 percent

Repo operation rate: 4.25 percent

Interest on reserve balance: 4.15 percent

Reverse repo rate: 4 percent

Prime credit rate: 4.25 percent

This US rate cut could help Indian markets. Lower US interest rates may push foreign investors to invest in India for better returns. This could lead to growth in the Indian stock market.

Gold may also get a boost. When interest rates fall, investors often look for safer and better returns—like gold. So gold prices might rise further.

The US job market is still weak. Looking at this and other economic risks, more rate cuts may happen in the coming months.

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Business

PM Modi’s dream of developed India by 2047 becomes collective resolve of every citizen

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New Delhi, Sep 17: Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the dream of a developed India by 2047 has today become the collective resolve of every citizen, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday.

Wishing PM Modi on his 75th birthday, the minister said that in the past 11 years, “your tireless hard work and dedication have brought unprecedented transformation in the lives of crores of Indians”.

“You have ignited the lamp of patriotism in the heart of every citizen and awakened a resolve for active participation in nation-building. May God grant you excellent health and a long life, so that you continue to serve Mother India with the same dedication and energy in the coming years,” Joshi noted in a post on X.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that meeting PM Modi for the first time as a member of his cabinet was a truly unforgettable experience for him.

“His deep interest in every subject, open mindedness, and out of the box perspective gave me new energy and inspired me to fulfill my responsibilities with even greater dedication and enthusiasm,” he posted on X.

“That one experience endowed me with the ability to serve the people with complete devotion for a lifetime, and for that, I will always remain deeply grateful to him from the bottom of my heart,” Scindia emphasised.

He further stated that PM Modi is dedicated to the development of every individual and is devoted to the principles of Antyodaya.

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, said that under PM Modi’s leadership, the significant decision of GST reforms will not only simplify and ease the lives of citizens but also provide new energy to the industry and business world, while promoting local production and entrepreneurship.

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Business

Urban Company IPO Surges On Debut, Listed At 60% Premium – What Drove The Buzz?

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Mumbai: Urban Company created a big buzz on its first day in the stock market. The company’s IPO (Initial Public Offering) was listed on September 17 on both the BSE and NSE. The issue price was Rs 103 per share, but it opened much higher at Rs 162.25 per share. This gave investors an immediate listing gain of almost 60 percent, which is a huge return on the first day itself.

The Rs 1,900 crore IPO opened for subscription from September 10 to 12, and it received an overwhelming response. The IPO was subscribed more than 103 times in total. This means demand was over 100 times more than the number of shares available. Big institutional investors showed the most interest, but retail and high-net-worth investors also participated in large numbers.

Out of the total IPO amount, Urban Company raised Rs 472 crore as fresh issue, and the rest came through an Offer for Sale (OFS) of Rs 1,428 crore. The company plans to use the fresh funds for marketing initiatives and technology upgrades, which will help it grow faster. Before the IPO, Urban Company also raised Rs 854 crore from major anchor investors, including names like SBI Funds, HDFC Mutual Fund, Fidelity, Nomura, Goldman Sachs, and others.

Urban Company is a popular platform that offers home and beauty services. Customers can book services such as cleaning, pest control, plumbing, carpentry, electrical work, painting, beauty treatments, grooming, and massage therapy. The company currently operates in 51 cities across India, UAE, and Singapore, and it is also present in Saudi Arabia through a joint venture. Urban Company is growing quickly and aims to become a global leader in home services.

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