MeitY Investigates Allegations of Repackaged Entries in Government-Backed Web Browser Challenge
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is investigating allegations that two runner-up entries in a government-backed web browser competition were rebranded versions of existing software, according to a government source.
- The scrutiny follows accusations that Ping and Bharat Web Navigator, which secured second and third place in the India Web Browser Development Challenge (IWBDC), made only superficial modifications while presenting their products as original creations.
- These concerns were raised on social media, with users claiming that the entries lacked innovation and only made minimal changes.
Ulla Declared Winner, Prize Money Not Yet Disbursed
MeitY recently announced Ulla, developed by Zoho, as the winner of the contest. The government had promised Rs 1 crore ($120,000) for the top entry, Rs 75 lakh for the first runner-up, and Rs 50 lakh for the second runner-up.
- Prize funds have yet to be disbursed, according to the source, despite the official announcement of the contest results.
Allegations Against Ping and Bharat Web Navigator
The allegations, made by the user @DotSlashTX on social media, claim that Ping Browser is mostly a rebranded version of Brave, an existing open-source browser. The user cited GitHub repositories as evidence, suggesting minimal effort in its development.
- Additionally, Ajna, the company behind Bharat Web Navigator, is identified as a cryptocurrency-focused firm, which raises doubts about its expertise in web browser development.
Moneycontrol reached out to both Ping and Ajna for comments on the matter.
Ping Developer Responds to Allegations
In response to the accusations on X (formerly Twitter), Udit Bansal, the developer behind Ping, admitted that the browser was built on Brave’s open-source stack. However, he emphasized that this was openly communicated from the beginning.
- Bansal also explained that the proposal submitted to the IWBDC organizers clearly mentioned the use of Brave’s codebase, and the source code was vetted multiple times during the competition.
- He defended the browser’s originality, pointing out that it includes features developed specifically for the challenge, such as a PDF reader with digital signing, parental controls, and AI-powered summarization tools.
