PhonePe takes on Google with launch of Indus Appstore

MUMBAI: Walmart’s PhonePe is taking on Google with the launch of its own android app store. The firm’s homegrown Indus Appstore is betting on localisation to differentiate itself in the space dominated by tech giants Google and Apple. Indus Appstore will offer app discovery in 12 Indian languages. “This is not about big tech, small tech, foreign, domestic. This is fundamentally about the freedom to innovate in the sector. We want to solve for a local market ecosystem. I genuinely believe if an Indus app store exists and starts getting traction, it will force Google Play store to compete harder and launch new features and that will force us to do more. Competition in consumer tech forces everyone to keep getting better,” said Sameer Nigam, co-founder and CEO at PhonePe. Personalisation will be another aspect that Indus Appstore will tap into to cater to diverse Indian consumers.
To get more developers on board which will be key to its growth, Indus Appstore will allow them to choose any third-party payment gateway for in-app billing and they will also not be charged any commission if they use an external payment gateway. In recent months, local app developers and Google have been engaged in a tussle over Play Store policies and commission fees. Nigam said that the appstore will primarily make money by providing advertising solutions to developers. Besides, it will also build its own cataloguing services and payment solutions. “We will offer these a la carte to app developers. They can use them as they want and when they want. We will not insist them to use our payment services,” Nigam said. Indus Appstore will, however, need to partner with more OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to broaden distribution. Currently, users can download the Appstore from its website. As of now, it has partnerships with Nokia and Lava. “Before the year is over, we will have partnered with large number of OEMs directly on distribution,” Nigam said.
Talking at the event, Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister of railways, communications, electronics and information technology said that world is looking at India as a co-creator and as a partner in development. “….whether it is AI, whether it is quantum, communications, developing something new….practically both in the brick and mortar world and in the digital world, the world today sees us a creator and co-developer of technology,” Vaishnaw said.