Google on February 28 launched its Play Pass subscription service in India, giving Android users access to over 1000 plus apps and games without ads or in-app purchases. The service will cost Rs. 99 per month after a one-month free trial or Rs. 889 for the year and can be shared with up to five other family members. The collection of apps that are part of Play Pass includes games such as Jungle Adventures, World Cricket Battle 2, and Monument Valley, and utility apps like Utter, Unit Converter, and AudioLab. "We will continue to work with global and local developers to add great new games and apps every month so that there is always something new to discover on Play Pass," Google said. Google said that apart from providing value to users, Play Pass will also help developers expand their global user base and unlock new revenue streams. Developers in India haven't been happy with Google's Play Store policies ever since the company in 2020 announced that it is mandating the use of Google's billing system for all in-app purchases, which takes anywhere between 10-30 percent cut on all transactions. Following this move, developers joined together to launch the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) and approached the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to launch an investigation into Play Store for antitrust violations. CCI in January indicated that it will complete its probe by March-end. How will Play Pass benefit developers? If developers choose to offer their apps as part of Play Pass they…
