PhonePe launches a counter to Google Play Store amid a brewing billing tussle

PhonePe on Wednesday launched the consumer version of its Indus Appstore, a local counter to Google Play Store. The app store will allow Indian consumers to download over 2 lakh mobile applications and games, across 45 categories, and users will be able to discover these apps in 12 Indian languages—catering to 95% of Indians' language preferences, the company said in a statement. 

"The app store also offers a brand new short-video based discovery feature, to make new app discovery more engaging for consumers," it said in a statement on Wednesday. To incentivise developers, Indus Appstore won't levy app listing fees for one year, until April 1, 2025; and allow them to use a third-party payment gateway of their choice without extra charges.

Amitabh Kant, India’s G-20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO, called it a game-changer for Indian applications. He emphasised the critical timing of the app store's debut, particularly for Android developers, as it addresses longstanding challenges in visibility and accessibility.

“The launch of Indus Appstore is very timely, especially for Android developers. It’s much needed, and will bridge the expectation between the developers and app store providers,” said Kant. “The newly launched store promises to empower Indian app creators with the tools and exposure needed to compete on a global scale.”

PhonePe's launch comes amid an ongoing tussle between Google and Indian startups over the former’s Play Store policies and commission fees. Earlier this month, around 30 app makers wrote to Google asking the company to not remove their apps in violation of Play Store billing rules. These companies asked Google to wait till March 19, when their Special Leave Petition (SLP) will be heard by the Supreme Court. Separately, India’s top court has refused to ask Google to potentially delist these apps.

The Indus Appstore app is currently available on the company’s website, which consumers can download and manually install the app on their smartphones. It will also offer a mobile number-based login system to attract consumers without email accounts.