Xiaomi to Preinstall PhonePe’s Indus Appstore in India

Abdullah Mustapha

March 13, 2025

Xiaomi has announced a major partnership with Indian fintech company PhonePe. The deal will bring PhonePe’s Indus Appstore to all Xiaomi Android smartphones sold in India. This marks a shift in Xiaomi’s strategy, supporting a local alternative to Google’s Play Store.

Xiaomi to Preinstall PhonePe’s Indus Appstore on Its Smartphones in India

Xiaomi smartphones currently come with Google’s Play Store and Xiaomi’s own GetApps store. With this new multi year deal, Xiaomi will replace GetApps with Indus Appstore. This confirms earlier reports of a possible partnership between the two companies.

Google’s Play Store will still be preinstalled. However, it is unclear if older Xiaomi smartphones will get Indus Appstore through updates. The companies have also not provided a timeline for the rollout.

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PhonePe’s Challenge to Google

PhonePe is working to establish itself in India’s app market. The Indus Appstore offers an alternative to Google Play, attracting developers with zero commission on in-app purchases.

The app store supports 12 Indian languages and features a video led discovery feed. It also boasts a catalog of over 500,000 apps across multiple categories. Despite this, alternative app stores often struggle to gain users’ trust and encourage downloads. By securing a preinstallation deal with Xiaomi, PhonePe hopes to overcome these challenges.

Impact on India’s Digital Market

This partnership supports India’s growing digital ecosystem. Xiaomi India’s COO, Sudhin Mathur, emphasized its importance. He stated, “As India’s digital ecosystem continues to grow, the demand for a locally driven app marketplace has never been more critical.” He also said that Xiaomi has always supported “Make for India” innovations.

PhonePe has not yet shared data on the Indus Appstore’s adoption or revenue. However, this integration with Xiaomi could be a turning point. If successful, other smartphone brands may consider similar partnerships. This could lead to more competition and innovation in India’s expanding app market.

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