In an effort to entice Android developers to India's largest market-PhonePe, a fintech company with Walmart funding has unveiled the Indus AppStore Developer Platform. The new online platform offers an alternative to Google's Play Store by promising no platform fees or commission on in-app purchases.

The Indian digital payments firm in Bengaluru has partnered with phone makers to promote the new app store. To address the worries of regional developers who have encountered slow replies and problems with Google's operation hours, it has now formed an India-based support staff.

With over 450 million registered users and recent $850 million financing, PhonePe sees the Indus Appstore Developer Platform as a critical step to strengthen the Indian developer community and build a more competitive digital ecosystem, according to The Indian Express.

Here's What to Know About PhonePe's Indus Appstore Developer Platform

PhonePe will not charge any listing fees to developers for the first year; there will thereafter be a "nominal" price, according to Mint. PhonePe also will not charge a commission on in-app purchases, in contrast to Google, which does so at a rate of 15 to 30 percent.

With a predicted one billion smartphone users by 2026, Akash Dongre, CPO and co-founder of Indus Appstore stressed the enormous potential of the Indian smartphone industry. He said that the platform focuses on localization, improved app discovery, and user interaction to provide a respectable substitute for the Google Play Store.

For Android developers looking to enter the Indian market, the Indus Appstore Developer Platform offers an alternate distribution route. It places a focus on finding bilingual apps to make it easier to attract high-quality users.

For startups and new app releases, the Indus Appstore Developer Platform provides a "Launch Pad" to improve exposure and search optimization. Developers get access to a number of tools and services, such as 24/7 customer assistance, listings in 12 Indian languages, and captivating video branding.

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To cater to customers without email addresses, Indus Appstore offers features including mobile number-based login. Additionally, the India-made platform provides competition analysis, analytics, real-time app vitals monitoring, and cohort-based targeted release management.

The debut of the Indus App Store comes at a time when Indian entrepreneurs and enterprises are getting more frustrated with Google's hegemony. Despite Google's market dominance, Indian app makers can only distribute on one app store.

Google Facing Issues in India

With the release of Indus Appstore Developer Platform, PhonePe is hopeful about the Indian government's attempts to persuade Google to adopt independent app stores.

Google, which has made over $10 billion in investments in India, is subject to more governmental oversight and criticism there, as per a TechCrunch report. Due to antitrust issues, it was punished and had to alter its contracts with partners and phone makers. Google issued a warning that modifications to its business agreements would increase the cost of devices and present security risks.

A year ago, India penalized the tech giant twice for antitrust violations and compelled it to modify its business arrangements with phone makers and other partners.

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