Entertainment apps led to a 150 percent yearly growth in downloads.
India, which is Google Play Store’s top download market, is now seeing increased spending on apps. Payments have become relatively hassle-free, and Google has introduced multiple billing options for users, which has led to three times more spending collectively. Gaming apps contributed significantly to the spends, a report by App Annie revealed. As more young Indians take to the internet, mobile gaming as an industry continued to grow. Inspired by consumers’ affinity to spend on the Play Store, Google has launched a ‘Make in India’ app program for local developers.
“Consumer spending on apps has grown 3x in India over the past year. There is a real market here. Monetization is just beginning in India,” Google Play’s Director for Business Development, Purnima Kochikar, reportedly said, at the App Execellence Summit. Google said that app downloads were up 150 percent in the last year, much of it coming from entertainment apps. Hotstar, which crossed over 100 million downloads on Play Store in April, led the surge. Jio’s suite of entertainment apps were much-downloaded too. WhatsApp, MyJio, Facebook, Messenger and SHAREit topped Play Store downloads. ALSO READ: Hotstar named Apple TV’s app of the year in India with 130 million downloads
India surpassed the US least year to become the largest market for Google Play Store. It not only managed to hold on to its leadership position in Q2 2017, but also experienced the best year-on-year growth, according to App Annie. The country, which is also the world’s leading Android base, had the highest average number of shopping apps installed per user. This is good news for companies like Amazon, which has made giant strides in the country. “India’s phenomenal progress over the past two years is even more impressive when considering its potential for further gains,” App Annie stated in an earlier report. ALSO READ: Google Play Store adds carrier billing option for Vodafone and Airtel postpaid users
Google Play Store recorded a 30 percent year-on-year growth in worldwide consumer spending. The Apple App Store, on the other hand, grew 35 percent with revenues of $10 billion. In-app subscriptions in non-gaming apps like Netflix, Spotify and Hulu are increasingly driving global revenues on app stores. For India, specifically, as more locally relevant apps come up (and get featured prominently on the Play Store), spending is bound to grow. App categories like gaming and entertainment, which typically see maximum consumer spending, are already hugely popular in India.