India to scrap ‘Google tax’ on digital ads in bid to defuse tensions with US ahead of April 2 tariffs

India to scrap ‘Google tax’ on digital ads in bid to defuse tensions with US ahead of April 2 tariffs

The equalisation levy, introduced in 2016 and expanded in 2020, was aimed at taxing large foreign digital companies– such as Google and Meta– that generate substantial revenue from Indian users without maintaining a local physical presence

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC, US, February 13, 2025. File Image/Reuters