India plans launch of own app store as alternative to Google, Apple

[艹艹艹]

India plans launch of own app store as alternative to Google, Apple: Report
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government may ramp up its Mobile Seva App Store for this purpose, the television channel reported, without providing further details.
Reuters | Updated: October 01, 2020, 17:55 IST

India is planning to launch its own app store as an alternate to the ones offered by Apple and Alphabet-owned Google, in a bid to make the country more self-reliant, ET Now reported on Thursday, citing government sources.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1311570567238045696

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government may ramp up its Mobile Seva App Store for this purpose, the television channel reported, without providing further details.

"Android has a 97% market-share in India. So, we should intervene and handhold Indian startups," ET Now quoted government sources as saying, adding that the store would not charge the 30% fee to host apps unlike Google or Apple.

The government is also considering a plan to make it mandatory for Android phones to be pre-installed with its apps, as per the channel's report.

India Startups Join Effort to Break Google, Facebook Dominance
October 01 2020, 4:46 PM October 02 2020, 4:41 AM

(bloomberg) -- founders of dozens of indian startups gathered over a zoom call earlier this week to discuss setting up a startup collective to fight the power of big tech, shape digital policy and lobby on behalf of the country’s digital enterprises.

about 56 founders were on the tuesday evening video conference where discussions ranged from establishing an alternative to alphabet inc.-owned google play store, the supremacy of large technology corporations such as facebook inc. and joining hands to get their voice heard by the government and the global behemoths.

“we, the country’s digital startups, need to have a joint voice so that the government and the people will listen,” said vijay shekhar sharma, the billionaire founder of the country’s leading digital payments brand, paytm. “we can’t let all of india’s digital dreams get controlled by one or two global companies.”

the effort is similar to what is happening in the u.s. where an uprising of startups is protesting the dominance of the google and apple inc. app stores and the fees they charge. additionally, a u.s. antitrust committee is finalizing a report after a 15-month investigation into google, apple, amazon.com inc. and facebook. china too is considering an antitrust probe into google for using its android mobile operating system to suppress competition, reuters reported on wednesday.

the group is toying with several names for the collective including the india internet foundation and the atmanirbhar digital india foundation. atmanirbhar is hindi for self-sufficiency, a key pillar of prime minister narendra modi’s post-pandemic economic policy. the plan is for the founders to meet again to chalk out next steps.

 

[RealNapster]

With such a huge number of IT guys in India, I think it can become reality one day. With technological and financial backing from Jio, why not

 

[Beidou2020]

Did India get permission from the US to do this?

 

[kankan326]

This is a national security threat to US.

 

[SuvarnaTeja]

It is total waste of money and time.

App store is useful only if you have an OS too.

 

[rent4country]

If it's a private entity there is a chance for it to succeed. A government-run app factory is doomed to fail. The sheer diversity of languages, cultural nuances, and a consumer base of 800 billion(?) means a localized India-specific app marketplace has the potential to be successful.

 

[vi-va]

It is total waste of money and time.

App store is useful only if you have an OS too.

that's Indian mindset.

 

[Beidou2020]

that's Indian mindset.

Typical Indian mindset.

 

[Globenim]

Where are all the Hindutva trolls with American flags telling us how building your own appstore is a doomed to fail endavour?

 

[sinait]

FINALLY India realized that its not good to be STOOGE for US Media?

NOT A SHAME to copy good practice from China.
This should be a good start for India to take back their Internet Sovereignty.
Way to go and All the Best.
.

 

[khansaheeb]

Oh dear, India showing its true colours, backstabbing the US . First Iran and now the US, India is getting too big for its boots. It's time the US realised that India is a bigger threat than China in every respect.

 

[darksider]

Building app store is not a big thing.there are already many app stores working globally which is owned by private companies.but they are nothing i front play store for android.though people use then for getting apps they cannot get from play store officially.
Personally I will never trust any other app store for my banking and shopping apps.

 

[Beast]

Lol.. is that a joke? A branch of incompetent cannot produce any result. India can wait a thousand years.
They cannot even compete with Chinese and less to talk about compete with Americans.
End of the day, india is just a small fry.

 

[jamahir]

India is planning to launch its own app store as an alternate to the ones offered by Apple and Alphabet-owned Google, in a bid to make the country more self-reliant

Real "Self-reliant" would be manufacturing the entire line like cell phones and other types of computers.

 

[graphican]

That app store should be called "Bloody-Phool" as Android and iOS is American, servers will be made by HP/Dell (American), accessories, cables, racks, fibre-optics they use will be Chinese, phones that will download the apps will be primarily Chinese - but the name part, oh yes - that will be pure Indian.

So how about this name "Bloody-Phool"? That sure is a pure Indian name - a.k.a 100% made in India.