India is in plans to have its own app store. Either by building one from scratch or expanding an existing one; If the demand from the firms to have an alternative to Google and Apple is high. India is now has a huge number of smartphone users. If numbers matter, it is around 500 million. And most of them are on the Android platform. So there is the best business potential to start a separate Indian app store.
Some bigger Indian start-ups like Paytm has already faced issues from Google’s rule. In the last month. Google removed Paytm from the play store for a few hours giving a statement that Paytm violated gambling policies. But it was back in a few hours after accusing Google of violating competition rules as Google is a direct competitor to Paytm in providing payment services. Paytm also stated that this is vicious that Google is a direct competitor and also has control over Playstore and can directly do the dawn for its competitor apps.
Is this a duopoly?
This week, Google also stated that it will strictly bring the policy to impose a 30% commission on payments made within the app store. Apple’s app store is no different. Not only in India, but Epic Games is also still fighting against this 30% commission stating this a “Monopoly”. Yes, Apple’s app store for Apple devices and Google’s play store for android devices are the only most trusted sources to download and install the applications. So, developers want their apps on these two to reach most of their users. But 30% commission is like a big thing for developers. Assume how many users play Fortnite, and assume how many buy “V-Bucks”.That’ll be millions of money, even 30% of it still be in millions. Fortnite can save so much money and can invest in some other if the app stores decrease its commission percentage.
As developers have no alternative trusted platforms to keep their apps and reach their large number of users. They have no other options but just to pay 30% commissions from the payments they receive through app stores. Thus, they feel this as a Duopoly by both the app stores.
India plans to have its own app store
India needs to have its own apps store for the start-ups to survive, paying lesser commissions. “It’s absolutely necessary to have a local app store,” said Vishal Gondal, co-founder of nCore Games.
“If we have to give 30% fees to Google and also pay for customer acquisition, how will our budding businesses survive?”
Google was acting as “judge, jury and executioner”
– Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of Paytm.
So with their statements, you would’ve already understood why India needs to have its own app store. Indian biggest start-ups and business firms like Paytm, Matrimony.com, PolicyBazaar, and a few more have built an alliance and making discussions with Government officials to make plans for India’s own app store. Let’s see how India works on this further. Will it be a new app store? or they expand taking an existing one? Still have to wait for answers.
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