Indus Appstore, India’s revolutionary new Android-based app store from PhonePe, has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing 100,000 downloads in just three days of launch.
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This remarkable feat underscores the Indian market’s eagerness for a localised, inclusive, and developer-empowering alternative to existing app stores. “Reaching over a lakh downloads in just three days confirms that India is ready for a homegrown app store that prioritises the needs of its diverse users and fosters a vibrant developer community,” said Akash Dongre, Chief Product Officer and Co-founder of Indus Appstore. “This is only the beginning; we’re committed to continuously evolving Indus Appstore to make it the go-to destination for apps in India” he added.
The rapid adoption of the Indus Appstore, particularly as a side-loaded application, which requires users to download it directly from the Indus Appstore website and grant additional permissions, is indicative of the strong interest and need for an app store that aligns closely with the preferences of the Indian consumer. App developers, tech enthusiasts, and users have actively downloaded the app, recognising the potential impact of the Indus Appstore on India’s digital ecosystem. Early feedback from users and developers has been overwhelmingly positive.
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The zero-commission model, 12 regional language support, and video-led app discovery have been particularly lauded. Indus Appstore’s rapid download figures demonstrate a clear demand for disruption and greater choice in a market traditionally controlled by a small number of global players. Indus Appstore was launched by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics & IT, on February 21. At the launch event, India’s startup ecosystem rallied in support of this groundbreaking initiative, with leaders from Dream11, Hotstar, Hungama, Bharat Matrimony, DailyHunt, IXIGO, MapmyIndia and several others in attendance. “The creation of India’s app store is very, very timely, it’s very needed. It will bridge the expectations between the developers and app store providers and, by supporting it in 12 languages, I think the Indus Appstore will really strengthen the Android position as a very competitive choice in India,” said Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, Government of India.
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PhonePe’s Indus Appstore is aiming to reach an install base of 500,000 users as soon as possible, with one million downloads expected shortly after. This ambitious trajectory reflects the company‘s confidence in Indus Appstore’s unique value proposition and its potential to redefine India’s digital landscape.
