In a major move for India digital ecosystem, Xiaomi India has announced a multi-year partnership with PhonePe Indus Appstore, making it the default app marketplace on all Xiaomi, Redmi, and Poco smartphones. This means Xiaomi will completely replace its in-house GetApps store with Indus Appstore, starting with both existing and upcoming devices in India.
What This Means for Xiaomi Users?
With this strategic collaboration, every Xiaomi smartphone sold in India will come pre-installed with Indus Appstore, giving users a local alternative to Google Play Store. The move is expected to enhance app discovery for Indian consumers while supporting regional developers.
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Why Did Xiaomi Replace GetApps?
Interestingly, Xiaomi India has chosen to retire its own GetApps store in favor of Indus Appstore, though the official announcement does not disclose financial terms of the deal. According to Sudhin Mathur, Chief Operating Officer at Xiaomi India, the goal is to create a more personalized experience for Indian users:
“By integrating Indus Appstore with our ecosystem, we aim to offer users a seamless and enriched app discovery experience, while also supporting Indian developers in reaching a wider audience.”
Meanwhile, Priya M Narasimhan, Chief Business Officer at Indus Appstore, called this partnership a “significant milestone” in their vision to create a horizontal app marketplace for Indian mobile users.
Indus Appstore: India Answer to Google Play Store
Launched in February 2024, Indus Appstore is designed to offer an Indian alternative to Google Play Store, catering specifically to regional users. Some key features of Indus Appstore include:
✅ 200,000+ apps at launch
✅ Support for 12 Indian languages for easier navigation
✅ Voice command support in 10 languages for effortless searching
✅ Video-based app discovery, where users can preview apps before downloading
While Xiaomi GetApps team will continue working with Indus under the “Indus Services App”, the transition marks a major shift in India’s mobile app ecosystem.
What Next?
With Xiaomi backing Indus Appstore, PhonePe has gained a massive advantage in India app distribution market, directly challenging Google Play Store. As more smartphone brands look for regional alternatives, this partnership could be the beginning of a larger shift towards India-first digital ecosystems.
