Xiaomi to replace its app marketplace GetApps with PhonePe's Indus Appstore in India

Xiaomi claims to have shipped more than 250 million smartphones and another 100 million devices since starting operations in India in 2014

Chinese smart electronics maker Xiaomi will replace its mobile app marketplace, GetApps, with PhonePe-owned Indus Appstore in India starting January 2025, according to an in-app notice shown to users.

As per the notice, the change will apply to all smartphones purchased in India. The move is expected to boost the adoption of the homegrown Android app store, which aims to challenge the dominance of the Google Play Store.

"GetApps will be replaced by our third-party partner, PhonePe. You can continue exploring, downloading, and updating apps via Indus Appstore. This process will begin automatically from January 2025; no additional action is required from you," the notice said, a copy of which was seen by Moneycontrol.

"The GetApps team will continue providing app installation and support services under the name Indus Services App," it added.

Moneycontrol has written to Xiaomi and PhonePe, and will update this article once they respond.

This development comes as Indus Appstore debuts a new version of its app marketplace featuring richer visuals and user interface tweaks among other changes.

In recent months, the company has also introduced a web marketplace that features app listings along with QR codes, enabling users to scan and download apps directly to their smartphones.

Walmart-backed PhonePe launched Indus Appstore in February, seeking to capitalise on India’s booming app economy. The launch also came amid a standoff between Google and some of the country’s top startups and internet firms over the former’s Play Store policies and commission fees.

One of the key selling points for Indus Appstore has been zero percent fee on in-app purchases compared to the 15-30 percent fee levied by Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The app marketplace also allows app developers to list their apps in 12 Indian languages apart from English, as well as upload media and videos to their app listings in these languages.

Developers will also be able to integrate any third-party payment gateway of their choice on the platform for in-app billing and Indus Appstore won't levy any fee for these transactions, PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam said at the launch event in February.

The Indus Appstore is currently available on the company’s website, where consumers can download and manually install it on their smartphones. The app marketplace claims to have surpassed one million installs within a month of its launch.

That said, striking partnerships with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) will be crucial for the app marketplace to drive adoption, due to the friction involved in consumers manually sideloading apps on their smartphones.

Xiaomi claims to have shipped more than 250 million smartphones and another 100 million devices since starting operations in India in 2014. It is targeting to double the device shipments in the country to 700 million in the next 10 years.