PhonePe launches Indus Appstore, challenging Google Play Store dominance in India

PhonePe, the leading digital payments platform in India, unveiled its Indus Appstore today, marking a bold challenge to Google Play Store’s dominance in the world’s largest mobile app market. Indus Appstore boasts over 200,000 apps and games across 45 categories, catering to the diverse needs of Indian users.

Uniquely, the store offers app discovery in 12 Indian languages, covering 95% of the population’s linguistic preferences. This localized approach, coupled with a novel short-video discovery feature, aims to create a more engaging and user-friendly experience compared to existing app stores.

In a groundbreaking move, Indus Appstore empowers developers by allowing them to choose any third-party payment gateway for in-app purchases, free from any commissions. While the platform will eventually offer its own payment solutions, these will remain entirely optional for developers. Additionally, to incentivize participation, the store is waiving listing fees for the first year.

This launch comes amidst growing demands from the Indian startup community for a more open and competitive app store ecosystem. “Indus Appstore challenges the status quo,” declared Sameer Nigam, CEO and Founder of PhonePe. “It fosters healthy competition, leading to a more democratic and vibrant digital landscape for India. We are committed to building an inclusive ecosystem where every user feels empowered.”

With its focus on user experience, developer freedom, and a localized approach, Indus Appstore has the potential to disrupt the app store landscape in India and beyond.

Here’s how you can download Indus App Store:

You can download Indus Appstore from indusappstore.com by simply clicking on the download button. An APK file will be downloaded which you need to install. PhonePe has plans to pre-load the Indus App Store in certain Android smartphones in India.