In a major move towards strengthening India’s digital ecosystem, PhonePe’s Indus Appstore will now come pre-installed on all Xiaomi devices, replacing the company’s existing GetApps marketplace. This development is part of a multi-year partnership between PhonePe and Xiaomi India, aimed at offering Indian consumers a more localized and seamless app experience.
A Big Shift: Xiaomi Bids Goodbye to GetApps
This collaboration means that all existing and future Xiaomi, Redmi, and Poco devices in India will now feature Indus Appstore as the default Android app marketplace. With Google’s Play Store currently dominating the Indian app market, this move signals an alternative homegrown option for Indian users.
Announcing the partnership, Sudhin Mathur, COO of Xiaomi India, said:
“By integrating Indus Appstore into our ecosystem, we aim to provide users with a smooth and enriched app discovery experience, while also helping Indian developers reach a wider audience.”
Meanwhile, Priya M Narasimhan, Chief Business Officer at Indus Appstore, called the collaboration a “milestone moment”, stating that it brings Indus one step closer to becoming India’s go-to horizontal app store.
Indus Appstore: A Truly Indian Alternative
Launched in February 2024, Indus Appstore was designed as an Indian alternative to Google Play Store. It currently hosts over 200,000 apps and supports 12 Indian regional languages, making it one of the most accessible app marketplaces for Indian users.
Key Features of Indus Appstore:
- Supports 12 Indian languages for easy navigation.
- Voice search enabled in 10 languages for convenience.
- Video-led app discovery, offering users trailer-like previews of apps before they download them.
- Direct access to Indian developers, allowing them to reach a wider audience without dependency on foreign app stores.
What This Means for Users and Developers
For Xiaomi users, this means an app store experience tailored to Indian needs, with localized features and content. For developers, Indus Appstore provides an independent, India-first platform to showcase their apps without the challenges of international marketplace policies.
While Xiaomi has not revealed financial details about the agreement, reports suggest that the GetApps team will continue working under “Indus Services App” to support Xiaomi’s in-house apps through the new ecosystem.
A Bold Step in India’s Digital Independence
With growing concerns around data security and the need for Indian alternatives to global tech giants, this partnership highlights India’s push towards self-reliance in the digital sector. As Indus Appstore continues to expand its reach, it will be interesting to see how it competes against the dominant Google Play Store.
For Xiaomi users, the next time you unbox a new Redmi, Poco, or Xiaomi device, don’t be surprised to see Indus Appstore ready to use!
