PhonePe's app store to come pre-installed on Xiaomi devices
What's the story
PhonePe-owned Indus Appstore has announced a strategic partnership with Xiaomi India.
The multi-year collaboration, announced today, will see the Indus Appstore pre-installed on Xiaomi devices sold in India, giving it a significant market presence.
The deal also involves replacing Xiaomi's existing app marketplace, GetApps, with the Indus Appstore on current device models.
It marks a major step toward challenging Google Play Store's dominance in India's digital ecosystem. The move also comes as PhonePe latest prepares to join the IPO bandwagon.
Strategic alignment
Indus Appstore's vision and Xiaomi's commitment
Indus Appstore's Chief Business Officer, Priya M Narasimhan, was equally excited about the partnership. She said this collaboration is a major step toward their vision of building a complete app store for Indian mobile users and developers.
Xiaomi India's Chief Operating Officer, Sudhin Mathur, had similar thoughts. He noted that the partnership is in line with Xiaomi's 'Make for India' innovations and will offer users an enriched app discovery experience while empowering local developers.
Market expansion
Growth and features
Indus Appstore, which was launched in February 2024, has been attracting attention owing to its unique selling proposition of zero fees on in-app purchases.
This is a stark contrast to the 15-30% fee levied by competitors such as Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The platform also allows developers to list their apps in 12 Indian languages (besides English) and upload media content to their app listings.
Strategic plans
Xiaomi's market presence and future goals
Since launching in India in 2014, Xiaomi says it has shipped over 250 million smartphones and another 100 million devices.
The company has set an ambitious target of doubling these shipments to 700 million over the next decade.
However, it's worth noting that Xiaomi's position in India's smartphone market has seen a decline, falling to seventh place according to IDC's latest monthly data from January.