PhonePe Launches Indus Appstore to Challenge Google Play Dominance in India

PhonePe, the fintech entity owned by Walmart Inc., has introduced the Indus Appstore, a new mobile application store for Indian consumers. This Android-based store competes directly with Google's Play Store.

Positioning itself as a "game-changer in India’s digital journey," PhonePe's move is aimed at capitalizing on the escalating mobile usage in the second-largest smartphone market globally.

As per PhonePe's official statement, the Indus Appstore will feature a diverse collection of over 200,000 mobile applications and games available in 12 Indian languages.

Developers are offered a unique advantage with no app listing fees for a year, extending until April 1, 2025, as communicated by PhonePe. Notably, developers have the freedom to choose any third-party payment gateway of their preference, marking a significant departure from industry norms.

Indus Appstore empowers Indian consumers to access a vast array of over 200,000 mobile apps and games spanning 45 categories. The app store caters to the language preferences of 95% of Indians by providing content discovery in 12 Indian languages. A novel short-video based discovery feature enhances the engagement of users in discovering new apps.

PhonePe's release highlights the commitment to fostering a fair and level playing field for developers within the Indian app ecosystem. Indus Appstore offers a self-publishing platform, localization services, and various tools for monitoring and growing apps, complemented by a dedicated 24x7 customer support system.

In a groundbreaking move, the PhonePe group is actively pursuing partnerships with smartphone manufacturers. CEO Sameer Nigam anticipates that the Indus Appstore will be accessible on most major phone brands by the year's end. The PhonePe Group operates a payments business, positioning itself against competitors such as Paytm and Google's GPay.

Sameer Nigam, CEO and Founder of PhonePe, expressed, “Indus Appstore challenges the status quo, ushering in an era of more healthy competition in the mobile app marketplace, which in turn should help create a more democratic and vibrant Indian digital ecosystem. Indus Appstore embodies our commitment to building a truly inclusive digital ecosystem where every Indian user feels at home."