Indian digital payments platform PhonePe is preparing to rival Google's Play Store with the launch of its mobile app store, the Indus Appstore. PhonePe's own app store is slated to debut later this month in the country, the media has reported. This initiative follows the digital payments firm's recent expansion of its app marketplace to Android developers, inviting them to publish their apps on the platform.
To expand its user base, the platform plans to implement a mobile number-based login system, catering to individuals without email accounts. On November 2023, PhonePe had signed collaborations with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) such as Nokia and Lava to embed the app store into their devices.
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According to a report by Moneycontrol, quoting sources, PhonePe, owned by Walmart, is gearing up to introduce its mobile app store, the Indus Appstore, for consumers on February 21, in a direct challenge to Google's Play Store. The company's website indicates that it has enlisted apps including e-commerce site Flipkart, ixigo, Domino's Pizza, Snapdeal, JioMart and Bajaj Finserv.
Earlier in November 2023, the Indus Appstore unveiled a partnership to feature apps from leading real-money game developers such as Dream11, Nazara Technologies, Gameskraft, and Mobile Premier League (MPL).
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The Indus Appstore, crafted to embrace India's cultural and linguistic variety, will offer access in 12 languages, comprising English, Hindi, and several regional dialects.
Contrary to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, this app marketplace is said to waive fees on in-app purchases, presenting a fee-free model, say reports. In comparison, a 15 per cent-30 per cent fee is levied by Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
It should be noted that Apple has unveiled new policy adjustments aligning with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in Europe. By March, these changes will allow iPhone app sideloading, in a bid to reduce Apple’s monopolistic control of software on iOS. The tech giant announced that developers in the EU now have the capability to incorporate alternative app marketplaces and produce alternative distribution packages.