India’s mobile app market is about to receive a new alternative app store as financial service PhonePe introduces the Indus Appstore. This native Android-based mobile app store is specifically designed to cater to the localized and cultural needs of Indian consumers. The app store was initially announced earlier this year and PhonePe has now revealed the addition of new tools for Indian developers, allowing them to showcase their titles with the Indus Appstore Developer Platform.

Going beyond traditional distribution channels, PhonePe aims to provide a more localized experience with the Indus Appstore. At launch, the app store will offer support for 12 languages, which is especially valuable considering India’s status as one of the most multilingual countries in the world.

“India is poised to have over one billion smartphone users by 2026, offering us a massive opportunity to build a new-age, localized Android app store. Despite being such a large consumer market, app developers have always been forced to work with only one app store for distributing their apps,” stated PhonePe.

PhonePe hopes that the Indus Appstore will serve as a credible alternative to the Google Play Store in India. Its focus on localization and enhanced app discovery and consumer engagement sets it apart. The Indus Appstore Developer Platform is now open, inviting all developers to list their apps on this Made-in-India app store.

India has witnessed the emergence of several alternative app stores recently, such as mSeva. As the Indian market continues to grow both in size and number, traditional app stores are at risk of falling behind. The availability of numerous languages is one of Indus’ main selling points, making it an attractive option for local developers, publishers, and distributors to cater to the diverse linguistic needs of Indian consumers.

With no equivalent to Tencent or NetEase in India, the country is home to numerous smaller developers vying for national and international recognition. Tools like the Indus Appstore Developer Platform will be highly sought after and equally valuable for these developers, offering them opportunities for showcasing their creations.