PhonePe launches Indus Appstore, challenges App Store and Google Play duopoly; 5 things to know

tech.hindustantimes.com:

PhonePe announced the launch of Indus Appstore, a localized app store that is built and customized for Indian consumers, at an event held in New Delhi. Calling it ‘India ka app store', the Indus Appstore supports 12 regional languages natively, allowing users to search and browse through apps in their preferred language. Know all about it.

The Indus Appstore was first announced on September 23, 2023, and was rolled out as an Indus Appstore Developer Platform. App developers were invited to register and upload their apps using the self-serve developer platform. Now, Indus Appstore has been unveiled to consumers and it offers an alternative way to install apps on your device. It is available for Android smartphones, which allows users to install alternative app stores. 

At launch, the Indus Appstore will have 200,000 mobile apps, including several thousand games. Developers say they will also be providing support for heavy games. It is developed as a localized, highly personalized and efficient platform.

1. Multi-language support - The Indus Appstore supports 12 regional languages, which can switched between with just a toggle. Users can browse the same set of apps that will get translated in real time. The developers say for every app that is listed on the platform, they have done translations in 12 languages before they are even uploaded to the app store, although the languages haven't been revealed as of yet. It also supports search in multiple languages. 

2. Video-led discovery - The app store will also support video-led discovery, where the founders can build content around the app. Thus, a video trailer will appear whenever you search for an app, providing insight and details about it.

3. AI-driven recommendations - The Indus Appstore will also enable AI-driven recommendations. With continuous usage, the app store will provide recommendations based on exactly who you are. Moreover, it will also support location-based recommendations.

4. Storage management - The app