Indus Appstore crosses 100 million devices, driven by Gen Z, Tier 3 users

PhonePe's Indus Appstore has surpassed 100 million devices, with strong adoption in regional languages and Tier 3 cities, reflecting deep penetration among younger users

Indus Appstore, India’s Android app marketplace launched by fintech major PhonePe, has crossed the 100 milliondevice mark. The app store’s localisation feature, allowing users to discover apps in 12 Indian languages along with English, is one of the key factors behind its success, the company said.

 

It added that 40 per cent of users navigate the app store in a regional language, with Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and Gujarati being the most popular.

 

The app store has a significant presence in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra, with Karnataka and Telangana following close behind as key user hubs.

 

India’s young population is a major driver of Indus Appstore’s growth. Gen Z, aged 18–27, makes up 33.7 per cent of the user base, and together with Gen Y, aged 27–44, accounts for nearly 93.5 per cent of users under 45.

 

The core Indus Appstore user is a 28–44-year-old male in a Tier 3 location. Almost 70.6 per cent of users are from Tier 3 regions, demonstrating strong penetration in rural and small-city markets.

 

Indus Appstore hosts several app categories, with social media apps being the most popular nationwide, followed by communication, entertainment, and finance.

 

Priya M Narasimhan, chief business officer, Indus Appstore, said: “It’s a proud moment for all of us to cross the 10-crore milestone, and it is an important step in our journey of building a horizontal app store for India. We will continue to offer our users a seamless, safe, and rich app selection experience that makes Indus Appstore not only a destination for apps, but a platform where users can discover apps that are right for them. We will also continue to support the developer ecosystem by offering a level playing field that allows them to distribute and reach the right users with features built for the Indian regional and cultural context.”