Group representing startups seeks govt intervention in Google Play ops, ads

The government must ensure "frivolous entities" bidding on Google Ads don’t corner keywords claimed by brands, said a group representing startups on Wednesday as it sought a India-specific policy on the tech giant’s Play store.

Aatmnirbhar Digital India Foundation (ADIF) said bidding of company-specific keywords such as "matrimony" or "Map My India" has resulted in competitors capitalising on the brand value of companies.

“Companies end up in spending crores of money to protect their own brands to prevent their customers going to competitors or frivolous entities. Companies are losing their revenue and customers because of Google not protecting brands,” said Murugavel Jankiraman,