Google Brings ‘Play Pass’ Subscription In India; To Offer 1000 Apps Without Ads

Google’s digital distribution service platform, Google Play has launched Google Play Pass in India, rolling out to Android devices this week. With this launch, it aims to introduce a new way to enable people to enjoy digital experiences. 

Play Pass is a subscription service that is currently available in 90 countries, which provides access to many apps and games without ads, in-app purchases, and upfront payments.

According to the company’s official statement, Play Pass will offer a high-quality and curated collection of more than 1000 titles across 41 categories from developers across 59 countries including many from India. 

Users can access Play Pass as a one-month trial and later, buy subscription plans for INR 99 per month and INR 889 for a year. They can also share their Play Pass subscription with up to five other family members through Google family group. 

“We want to deliver products and programs that the Play community- both users and developers – find value in, and we are always looking for new ways to do this. With the launch of Play Pass in India, we are excited to offer a robust collection of unlocked titles to our users and looking forward to partnering with more local developers to build amazing experiences users love,” said Aditya Swamy, director, play partnerships, Google India.

Under the Google Play Pass, users will find a range of exciting titles, from games to apps. Through the new subscription service, Google Play will also offer Indian developers of all types of apps and games a new avenue to expand their global user base and unlock new revenue streams. 

Google will continue to work with global and local developers to add new games and apps every month so that there is always something new to discover for users.

To use the Play Pass subscription, users can start their trial by simply opening the Play Store app on their Android device, tapping the profile icon at the top right, and looking for ‘Play Pass’. Subscribers can access the collection of apps and games through the Play Pass tab. 

Of late, Google announced its plans to create more products in India for the entire globe. 

Earlier in January 2021, the tech giant announced a $1 Bn investment in Bharti Airtel as a part of its Google for India Digitisation Fund. The transaction comprises an investment of $700 Mn via equity investment and $300 Mn towards potential multi-year commercial agreements. 

According to Inc42 reports, Airtel allotted 71,176,839 equity shares at INR 734 per share to Google International LLC aggregating to INR 5,224 Cr.

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