Local content in India requires a third party app store for smartphones

India is a country of diverse languages, castes and religious preferences. However, we are all united by the increasing use of smartphones. In fact, the number of smartphone users is expected to reach over 760 million by the end of 2021. Although India claims to be the second largest English speaking country in the world, there are still millions of people, especially first time smartphone or internet users, who prefer the medium of communication, even through the digital medium, Want to be in your regional language. In 2016, the number of Indian language Internet users was approximately 234 million, and is expected to reach 536 million by the end of 2021. In contrast, the number of English Internet users in 2016 was 175 million and is projected to reach 199. million by 2021. Clearly, the next phase of growth in Internet usage will be championed by regional users.

Imagine having the full convenience of buying a new smartphone and using it in your preferred language. This ubiquity of regional languages ​​will directly lead to exponential growth in independent users. They will be able to install apps, scroll through social media, discover new updates and features, view content or e-papers, listen to music, play games, watch TV shows and movies, and most importantly, they can Will be able to give you commands. Smartphones, and all this in their preferred language. However, these offerings can only be developed by innovative companies that understand the local market and deal with the day-to-day constraints faced by new smartphone users, mainly in countries like India.

Monopoly and New Age Solutions: Google Play Store and App Store have established their global presence and have provided an end user friendly experience over the years. We all live under the secure umbrella of the tried-and-tested App Store, and they come pre-installed on most smartphones, making them far easier to use. Having said that, new-age smartphone customers, especially in countries like India, where a large part of the total population is still comfortable with their regional and non-English content, it is even more important to look beyond these limited apps. is. Stores. This is where third party app stores can turn the table in providing a better experience.

In the past few years, with more and more in-house developers understanding of India’s growing app store industry, more and more domestic third-party app stores have entered the Indian tech market.

As of January 2021, India had over 624 million internet users and counting. Between 2020 and 2021, more than 47 million people in India will be connected to the World Wide Web (WWW). The above statistics clearly indicate that Indian Internet users are increasing rapidly year after year. At a juncture where new-age Internet users, including first-timers, are constantly on the lookout for a more convenient alternative, free from aggressive regulations, third-party alternatives with an open and advanced App Store ecosystem. important for construction.

Google’s opinion on third-party app stores: Contrary to Apple’s firm stance of only allowing the App Store to download iOS apps, Google has expanded its horizons beyond Google Play and enabled Android users to download apps from third-party app stores as well. Last year, Google announced its plans to add new features to Android 12 to make it easier for users to access third-party app stores without compromising core security measures. Also, this year, it was clear that Android 12 would enable a third App Store to automatically update apps without frequent user input. The new feature certainly allowed third-party app stores to behave like the Google Play Store, however, following the release of Android 12, it was discovered that Google changed third-party apps to themselves as the default share-sheet. Refused to set as. While Google’s move may not be a direct hit against third-party app stores, it’s actually a subtle blow.

How are new-age third-party app stores changing the paradigm of the Android app industry? Imagine you bought a phone for your mom or grandma, and she doesn’t have an email address. Wouldn’t it be difficult for him to access small things on his smartphone without help? That’s where third-party apps are coming in with all-inclusive solutions. With young and enthusiastic developers entering the entrepreneurial market, there has been a rapid growth in third party Android app stores. These modernist apps are abandoning the traditional one-global language system and enabling users to install applications and take advantage of other features in their preferred regional language. In fact, EASE (Enhanced App Store Ecosystem) is building a revolutionary system that encourages developers to come up with solutions that can effectively tackle consumer problems. The primary objective of these third-party app stores is to break the monopoly and democratize access to smartphone applications.

Third-party App Store requirement: An average user may feel that there is no harm in using the popular app store instead of the alternative app store. However, this may not be entirely true. It’s important to note here that some third-party app stores do pay for downloads and often offer far more commercially beneficial deals than Google Play and the App Store. As third-party app stores are more in tune with consumer problems, they sometimes offer discounted versions of apps or other money-pinching deals. They charge relatively little or no uploading fees and even promote new apps by offering them advertising deals. In addition, third-party app stores are often focused on a small or specific section of the app. If you’re opting for a more localized approach, using third-party apps will be far more beneficial than Google Play or the App Store.

Clearly, the Indian business ecosystem stands to gain in a big way from the ongoing push towards localisation. As more companies adopt homegrown app stores, the Internet will become a more accessible place for the next billion users.

About the Author: Rakesh Deshmukh is the co-founder and CEO of Indus OS, an Indian app and content discovery platform that also runs the Indus App market for smartphones.

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