Union IT and Railways Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, is scheduled to inaugurate the Indus Appstore, touted as the first 'Made-in-India' Android-based app store, on February 21. The launch event will witness the convergence of over 300 members from the Indian startup and developer communities, showcasing a united front in challenging the global domination of tech giants and advocating for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' or self-reliant India.

The Indus Appstore, a native Android-based mobile app store, aims to address the localized and cultural preferences of Indian consumers. With support for English and 12 Indian languages, the app store offers a personalized and contextual experience for users. Developers are provided with a fair platform to list, distribute, and promote their products in the Indian app ecosystem, along with self-publishing capabilities, localization services, and 24x7 customer support.

The launch event will feature panel discussions with speakers from the Indian business and developer community, shedding light on the vision, strategic choices, and technical intricacies involved in creating the app store. The initiative marks a significant stride towards breaking the technological, commercial, and distribution monopoly of global players in the Android app marketplace.

PhonePe, a leading fintech and digital payments leader, shared details about the monumental event, emphasizing its commitment to fostering a thriving ecosystem for Indian developers and startups. PhonePe itself boasts over 510 million registered users and processes more than 220 million daily transactions, contributing to an annualized total payment value (TPV) of $1.4 trillion.