India, Feb. 11 -- India had already abolished its 6% equalisation levy on digital advertising, popularly known as the "Google tax", well before the India-US trade framework was announced, even as an earlier White House fact sheet suggested the move was part of the bilateral deal.

The levy on digital advertising services provided by foreign technology firms was removed through amendments in the Finance Bill 2025, with effect from April 1, 2025. The rollback came nearly 10 months before the trade framework between New Delhi and Washington was unveiled.

The development gained fresh attention after the White House revised its fact sheet on the trade framework, deleting language that said India "will remove its digital services taxes." The u...