Walmart-owned company PhonePe has officially launched its app store, named the Indus App Store, on february 21. This move had been anticipated for several months, and the app store is designed for Android, positioning it as a direct competitor to google Play Store.
Contrary to concerns that the google Play Store might be closed, the Indus App Store offers an alternative for Android users in India. Last year in september 2023, PhonePe had called on companies to publish their apps on this platform. While google Play Store is widely used by Android users in india, the introduction of the Indus App Store provides an additional option for downloading Android apps.
The launch of the Indus App Store is a strategic move by Walmart in the indian app market. Data from intelligence firm data.ai reveals that in 2023, people in india spent 1.19 trillion hours on mobile apps, a significant increase from 954 billion hours in 2021. The app store's extensive offerings may capitalize on the growing trend of increased mobile app usage in India.
The Indus App Store boasts over 2 lakh mobile apps and games in 45 different categories, including support for 12 languages, such as Hindi, English, and various regional languages. The company emphasizes that developers can register their apps on the platform for free during the first year. The Indus App Store also offers 24/7 customer care support via email and chatbot.
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