Indus Appstore aims to rival Google Play with a personalised touch for Indian users

Indus Appstore is a native Android-based mobile app store, designed to fulfill the localized and cultural needs of Indian consumers. With an extensive array of categories it seeks to provide users a localized, contextual and a personalized experience. Indus Appstore is available in English and 12 Indian languages, which allows users to explore the app store in their preferred language. Speaking to Bizz Buzz exclusively, Akash Dongre, Chief Product Officer and Co-founder, Indus Appstore, narrates his entrepreneurial journey, the key features of the appstore, its differentiators and the plans ahead

How and when did your entrepreneurial journey begin?

Indus Appstore’s journey started in 2013 as Indus OS, India’s own regional language operating system. Indus OS was started by me (Akash Dongre), Sudhir B and Rakesh Deshmukh, 3 IIT Bombay Graduates, with the vision of building an Indian Operating System, a digital ecosystem to help non-English speaking and early smartphone users to access the internet and digital services, in their languages. Indus OS supported 12 Indian languages and had a regional app store, App Bazaar, a regional keyboard, and various other applications.

Indus OS went on to acquire more than 10 million users with various OEMs, such as Micromax, Karbon, Intex, etc. and became India’s second-largest OS by shipment in 2016.

Indus OS pivoted to focus only on the app store with Indus AppBazaar. In 2019, we partnered with Samsung to acquire more than 200 million users for its app store. PhonePe acquired Indus OS in 2022, and decided to build an independent and horizontal app store for Indian users and developers, and launched the Indus Appstore in Feb 2024.

Was there any trigger for getting into this area?

India is poised to have over 1 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 – Google Playstore – for distributing their apps. Indus Appstore hopes to provide app developers a credible alternative to the Google Playstore – one that is more localized and offers better app discovery and consumer engagement. Additionally, with a vast majority of Indians speaking at least one Indian language in addition to English, there is a need for an alternate app store that offers a localized, contextual and personalized experience for consumers.

How has been the journey so far?

Our early strategy involved eliminating barriers that traditionally stifled developer success and innovation. By waiving listing fees (for the first year) and in-app commission charges (with the payment gateway of developer’s choice), we are investing in the future of app development and distribution. This period is about building a robust, user-centric product that addresses the critical pain points in app discovery and distribution.

At Indus Appstore, we're crafting an ecosystem that champions the needs and aspirations of Indian users and developers alike. Our goal is to provide solutions tailored to their diverse needs. Since our developer platform launch in September 2023, we've seen an overwhelming response, with a large number of developers joining us in this journey, which further increased after the launch of the consumer application in February 2024. Discussions around the need for an alternative app store have intensified in the last few months, recommending Indus Appstore as the alternative.

What are the key features of the Indus Appstore?

Localization and cultural relevance: App discovery in 12 Indian languages, addressing the diverse linguistic needs of India's vernacular language speakers, who make up 75 per cent of the internet user base

Voice search feature: The recently launched voice search feature in 10 Indian languages plus English, powered by AI and machine learning for accurate results, allows users to discover apps using voice commands, eliminating the need for specialized keyboards and complex character compositions

Rich media discovery: Features such as video-led app discovery enhances user engagement and provides a better understanding of apps before downloading. This engaging method offers users new and interactive ways to find and download apps.

Zero commission policy: Although primarily beneficial for developers, this policy encourages high-quality app offerings, benefiting users with better app choices. Developers are incentivized to create and update high-quality apps without worrying about high fees, resulting in a better selection of apps for users.

Robust support system: 24×7 customer support ensures user issues are addressed promptly, maintaining user satisfaction and trust. Indus Appstore provides extensive developer support, including localization services and a self-publishing platform, enhancing the overall ecosystem for both users and developers.

Extensive app categories: Indus Appstore offers over 3.5 lakh mobile apps and games across 45 categories, catering to a wide range of interests and needs, providing users with a comprehensive selection to choose from.

Through these initiatives, Indus Appstore aims to provide a superior, personalized user experience, setting it apart from other app stores and attracting a significant user base.

How does it stand out from Google Playstore?

Indus Appstore aims to understand and solve the challenges faced by Indian users and developers. It solves for accessibility with easy mobile sign-in, speaks to the diverse linguistic preferences of Indian users with availability in multiple Indian languages, and empowers users to discover and download apps in their language of choice. The platform offers personalized content and revolutionizes the app discovery process through rich media content such as app stories and videos. In essence, Indus Appstore is committed to inclusivity, ensuring a seamless, language-centric, and enriched digital experience for every user.

For developers, Indus Appstore provides a fair and level playing field to list, distribute and promote their applications in 12 Indian languages on its self-publishing platform. Additionally, it provides localisation services, multiple tools to monitor and grow their apps along with a dedicated 24×7 local customer support to address developers' issues. Indus Appstore offers zero listing fees for the first year and zero platform fees for in-app transactions. Developers are free to choose to integrate any payment gateway of their choice in their application compared to paying up to 30 per cent commission charges by global app stores.

To top it all, Indus Appstore meets benchmarks set by the competition in order to attract global developers to list its applications for Indian users.

Through these initiatives, Indus Appstore aims to provide a superior, personalized user experience, setting it apart from other app stores and attracting a significant user base.

How has your Appstore grown over the last one year in terms of number of downloads and other parameters?

Indus Appstore has surpassed 2 million downloads so far, and we are seeing a steady increase in users. The app store has seen significant traction since its launch in February 2024, mainly from Tier II cities comprising 45 per cent of the user base. We have over 3.5 lakh apps on the platform, and the popular app categories include Finance, Games, Social Media, Entertainment, Tools, Communication, and Shopping.

Are you working on to add more features?

Indus Appstore has launched the Voice Search feature in 10 Indian languages, allowing users to discover and find apps in their local language with just a tap of the voice search button. Indus Appstore also provides app descriptions in Indian languages, so non-English-speaking users can use the app store without any language constraints.

How do you propose to scale it up? What are the plans, going forward?

Indus Appstore aims to become the ideal destination for App Discovery, providing users new and innovative ways to discover apps and gather information about different apps.

This allows app developers to use Indus Appstore, not only as a distribution platform but also as a consumer engagement and marketing platform. Developers can promote their applications using new and innovative ad formats.

Additionally, the app store’s reach in Tier II cities and beyond offers an added advantage to reach new and untapped regional users, who are currently not served adequately by traditional app stores.

All apps on Indus Appstore - gaming, OTT, EdTech, or Classified - that accept payments will be offered fair payment commissions, plus they will not be charged any additional app store service fees if they choose to use alternative payment gateways.