Apple has published a new study by IIM Ahmedabad’s Professor Viswanath Pingali, revealing that the App Store ecosystem in India generated Rs 44,447 crores ($5.31 billion) in developer billings and sales in 2024.
Notably, over 94% of this revenue went directly to developers, bypassing any commission to Apple. The report also highlights a sharp rise in global earnings for India-based developers, which have tripled over the past five years.
Apple CEO Tim Cook called the App Store an “economic miracle” for Indian developers, reaffirming Apple’s commitment to supporting innovation. The study noted strong app performance in categories like food delivery, travel, gaming, and entertainment.
Indian developers are thriving on a global scale: 80% of their App Store earnings now come from outside India, with apps downloaded over 755 million times globally—double the number from five years ago. Apps like Fluid Touch’s Noteshelf and Raja Vijayaraman’s Lumy demonstrate the success Indian developers are finding worldwide, aided by Apple’s developer support initiatives like the Developer Center in Bengaluru.
Locally, Indian app downloads have tripled and earnings have grown fivefold over the past five years, boosted by the rise of quick commerce and gig economy apps. Small developers, in particular, saw their App Store earnings jump 74% between 2021 and 2024, thanks in part to Apple’s Small Business Program, which offers reduced commissions.
Apple also underscored the safety and security of the App Store, emphasizing that features like App Review, fraud prevention, and privacy protections not only secure users but create a trusted marketplace that benefits developers. From 2020 to 2023, Apple blocked over $7 billion in fraudulent transactions and rejected more than 1.7 million apps that failed to meet quality standards.
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