New Delhi: Xiaomi India has partnered with PhonePe’s Indus Appstore to integrate the homegrown Android app marketplace into its smartphones.
Under this multi-year agreement, Indus Appstore will be pre-installed on all new Xiaomi smartphones in India and will replace GetApps on existing devices.
Strategic Shift Towards Localized App Ecosystem
This move aligns with India’s push for a self-reliant digital infrastructure by offering a localized alternative to global app stores. Xiaomi, known for its “Make for India” strategy, aims to provide Indian users with an app marketplace that supports regional languages and localized discovery features.
Sudhin Mathur, Chief Operating Officer of Xiaomi India, said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing user experience while also giving Indian developers a wider reach. Priya M Narasimhan, Chief Business Officer of Indus Appstore, emphasized that the partnership will create more opportunities for developers and enhance app discovery for Indian consumers.
Indus Appstore’s Features
Indus Appstore offers several features designed for Indian users, including:
Multilingual support: Apps available in 12 Indian languages
Video-first discovery: Visual previews of apps before installation
Voice-enabled search: Support for 10 Indian languages
Wide app collection: Over 5 lakh apps across 45 categories
Impact on the Indian App Market
With this partnership, Xiaomi is shifting towards a more localized digital ecosystem, moving away from its previous reliance on GetApps. The integration of Indus Appstore could increase competition in the app marketplace sector, which is currently dominated by Google Play Store. The move also reflects a broader trend among Indian smartphone brands to support homegrown digital infrastructure.
This development comes at a time when India is actively promoting indigenous tech solutions to reduce dependence on foreign platforms. The impact of this shift on app developers, user experience, and the broader digital economy remains to be seen.
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