Indus Appstore
by PhonePe (Indus Appstore Pvt. Ltd.)
Indus Appstore Home Page | Indus Appstore
About This App
Indus Appstore is an Android app marketplace built by PhonePe (a Walmart-backed fintech company) out of Chennai, India. Launched in February 2024, it has grown to over 10 crore (100 million) device installations and hosts 500,000+ apps and games. The store comes pre-installed on Xiaomi and Lava smartphones in India, giving it massive reach without requiring sideloading. The standout feature is deep Indian language support โ users can browse, search, and discover apps in 12 Indian languages beyond English (Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Assamese, and Urdu). Nearly 40% of users browse in their native language. Voice search works in 10 Indian languages. App discovery uses a short-form video format similar to Instagram Reels, making it intuitive for Tier 2/3 users unfamiliar with traditional app store navigation. For developers, it charges zero commission on in-app payments โ a massive contrast to Google's 15% and Apple's 30% cut. Indus Appstore is completely free for users. Developers pay zero publishing fees and zero commission on in-app transactions, making it the most developer-friendly app store in India. Revenue comes from PhonePe's broader payments ecosystem, not from taxing developers. This zero-commission model has attracted major publishers including Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta. Best suited for Indian Android users โ especially those in Tier 2/3 cities and towns who prefer browsing in regional languages. Over 70% of users come from Tier 3 regions, and the core demographic is 28-44 year old males. Users looking for a curated, Google-free Android experience will find value here. However, the app catalog is still smaller than Google Play's 3.5 million apps, and some niche international apps may be missing.
Information updated 6 months ago
App Details
Indus Appstore Private Limited
Honest Review
What works well
- +100M+ device installations โ massive reach with pre-installation on Xiaomi and Lava phones in India
- +App discovery in 12 Indian languages plus voice search in 10 languages โ built for Bharat, not just India
- +Zero commission on in-app payments for developers โ vs 15-30% on Google Play and Apple App Store
- +Video-based app discovery format makes finding new apps engaging and intuitive for non-tech-savvy users
- +Zero publishing fee for developers โ no cost barrier to list apps
- +Strong Tier 2/3 penetration โ 70% of users come from smaller towns and rural India
What needs improvement
- -App catalog of 500K is significantly smaller than Google Play's 3.5M+ apps โ niche apps may be missing
- -Requires sideloading on non-Xiaomi/Lava phones โ not available on Google Play Store itself
- -No iOS version โ Android-only, which excludes iPhone users entirely
- -Update notifications and auto-update reliability not yet on par with Google Play
- -Brand awareness still low outside PhonePe's existing user base
Common user complaints
- !Some apps available on Google Play are not yet listed on Indus Appstore โ especially smaller indie apps
- !Sideloading process confuses non-technical users who don't have it pre-installed
- !App update mechanism is slower than Google Play โ sometimes takes days for latest versions to appear
- !Battery and storage impact of having a second app store running alongside Google Play
- !Search results quality is inconsistent โ sometimes returns irrelevant apps for common queries
Learn Indus Appstore on YouTube
Hand-picked videos to help you get started โ tutorials, demos, and reviews.
How To Use Indus App Store | PhonePe Indus App Store Kaise Use Kare
How to Use Indus Appstore in Redmi | Indus Services | Gets App Kaise Kaam Karta Hai
Indus App Store Explained | India's Own Android App Store | Features & Review
India's Own App Store: Indus App Store
Indian Alternative To
Indus Appstore is a powerful Indian alternative to these international apps:
Is Indus Appstore an alternative to Google Play Store?
Yes, Indus Appstore by PhonePe (Indus Appstore Pvt. Ltd.) is an Indian alternative to Google Play Store. It offers similar functionality while being developed and maintained in India.Explore other Indian alternatives to Google Play Store โ
Is Indus Appstore an alternative to Apple App Store?
Yes, Indus Appstore by PhonePe (Indus Appstore Pvt. Ltd.) is an Indian alternative to Apple App Store. It offers similar functionality while being developed and maintained in India.Explore other Indian alternatives to Apple App Store โ
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