PhonePe launches Indus Appstore to challenge Google Play

In an effort to compete with Google Play in India, Bengaluru-based digital payments firm PhonePe has launched the Indus AppStore Developer Platform on Saturday. The ‘made-in-India’ app store is now open for developers to register and publish their apps, with no platform cost and no commission on in-app purchases.

The Indus AppStore Developer Platform includes a ton of regionally pertinent features, such as support for outside payment processors, 12 Indian languages, and a login mechanism based on phone numbers.

The app store also includes a targeted release management function that enables developers to distribute app updates to the right user cohorts. Using AI-powered tools, developers can also keep an eye on the health of their apps as they release new versions.

PhonePe, which has over 450 million registered users on its payments app, also announced that an India-based team has been established to provide support to developers, resolving the concerns of local developers who have been dissatisfied with Google’s delayed responses and US time zone operating hours.

Raising $100 million in May 2023, PhonePe has secured $850 million in total so far. 

“Indus Appstore hopes to provide app developers a credible alternative to the Google Playstore – one that is more localised and offers better app discovery and consumer engagement,”said Akash Dongre, co-founder and chief product officer of Indus Appstore, in a statement.