GoI asks Apple, Google to add 'GOV.in' app store for official government-approved apps
2 months, 1 week ago

GoI asks Apple, Google to add 'GOV.in' app store for official government-approved apps

Firstpost  

MeitY has asked Google and Apple to allow users in India to download the GOV.in app store directly from platforms like Google Play and Apple’s App Store, and to ensure that new smartphones come with this app suite pre-installed before they are sold If successful, the GOV.in app store could greatly expand access to digital services in India and improve cybersecurity by offering a more controlled environment for government-approved apps. Image Credit: Reuters The Indian government is working on launching its own app store, called GOV.in, aimed at consolidating all official government applications in one place. According to a Bloomberg report, the ministry has asked these companies to allow users in India to download the GOV.in app store directly from platforms like Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Potential benefits and challenges ahead If successful, the GOV.in app store could greatly expand access to digital services in India and improve cybersecurity by offering a more controlled environment for government-approved apps.

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History of this topic

PhonePe’s Indus Appstore and Xiaomi India form multi-year strategic partnership
1 week, 5 days ago

PhonePe’s Indus Appstore and Xiaomi India form multi-year strategic partnership

Live Mint  

Bangalore, March 20th, 2025: Indus Appstore, India’s homegrown Android app marketplace, announced a multi-year alliance with Xiaomi India, a global technology pioneer. By integrating Indus Appstore on all new Xiaomi smartphones in India and replacing GetApps on existing ones, the Indus Appstore aims to foster accessibility, app discovery, and a seamless user experience. Speaking about the partnership, Priya M Narasimhan, …

Apple Store app arrives in India: What is it and how does it work?
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Apple Store app arrives in India: What is it and how does it work?

Live Mint  

In yet another sign of its increasing focus on India, Apple has launched a dedicated Apple Store app in the country, which will allow users to purchase the Cupertino-based tech giant's various products while getting personalised recommendations. According to Apple, the launch of the Store app will act as a one-stop destination to easily discover the company's latest products, accessories …

Apple Store app launches in India
Top News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Apple Store app launches in India

The Hindu  

Apple announced on Thursday that its Apple Store app was launching in India, enabling users to shop through the app, get recommendations, customise their gadgets, and communicate with product experts. After downloading the Apple Store app from the app store, users can explore new products, accessories, and services. “At Apple, our customer is at the centre of everything we do, …

Apple Store app launch in India is a precursor to substantial retail expansion
Trending News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Apple Store app launch in India is a precursor to substantial retail expansion

Hindustan Times  

This year, Apple is expected to double down on its presence in India, and will embark on the next stage of retail expansion in the country. In a move that will potentially set the ball rolling for what is to come in the next few months, the Apple Store app is finally available for users in India. With the Apple …

Apple launches Apple Store app in India
Top News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Apple launches Apple Store app in India

India Today  

Apple has launched the Apple Store app in India, which has been available in its other markets for years. “At Apple, our customer is at the centre of everything we do, and we are thrilled to introduce the Apple Store app to reach even more users in India, further deepening our connections,” said Karen Rasmussen, Apple’s head of Retail Online. …

Xiaomi to replace GetApps with PhonePe's Indus Appstore in India, challenging Google Play Store
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Xiaomi to replace GetApps with PhonePe's Indus Appstore in India, challenging Google Play Store

India TV News  

There is exciting news for Xiaomi fans out there. The transition to the Indus Appstore can be interpreted as a strategic initiative by Xiaomi, aimed at improving user experience while simultaneously adhering to the evolving regulatory landscape. The Indus Appstore, which was launched earlier this year, is an Android-based app marketplace designed to provide a more localised and user-friendly experience …

Apple engaged in ‘abusive conduct and practices’: CCI questions iPhone maker's dominance on iOS and App Store
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Apple engaged in ‘abusive conduct and practices’: CCI questions iPhone maker's dominance on iOS and App Store

Live Mint  

The Competition Commission of India has found that Apple exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores on its iOS operating system, engaging in abusive conduct and practices, reported Reuters. An investigation by India's antitrust body has found that Apple exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores on its iOS operating system, engaging "in abusive …

Google Play Store: 8 out of 10 Indian companies return to the platform
1 year ago

Google Play Store: 8 out of 10 Indian companies return to the platform

India TV News  

As the battle between Google and Indian startups intensifies, some apps of 8 out of 10 key homegrown companies who are spearheading the fight with the tech giant are already back on the Google Play Store after they complied with the new policy. Google had delisted more than a dozen apps by major Indian digital companies, including Matrimony and Shaadi.com …

Info Edge founder bats for ’Indian app store’ after Google action on Indian apps
1 year, 1 month ago

Info Edge founder bats for ’Indian app store’ after Google action on Indian apps

Live Mint  

Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani on Friday called for the creation of India's mobile application store as a part of its ‘Digital Public Infrastructure’ following tech giant Google India's action against mobile applications of 10 Indian companies. The tech giant took down multiple Indian mobile applications like Bharat Matrimony from Play Store because of a dispute over service fee payments. …

Google starts removing multiple Indian apps from Play Store for not paying service fee
1 year, 1 month ago

Google starts removing multiple Indian apps from Play Store for not paying service fee

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Google on Friday began removing some apps, including popular matrimony apps, from its Play Store in India over a dispute on service fee payments. While Bharat Matrimony founder Murugavel Janakiraman described the move as "dark day" for the Internet in India, Kuku FM co-founder Vinod Kumar Meena, in a statement, said that Google was behaving like a 'monopoly'. …

Google Play Store's rival Indus Appstore surpasses one lakh downloads in three days of launch
1 year, 1 month ago

Google Play Store's rival Indus Appstore surpasses one lakh downloads in three days of launch

Hindustan Times  

Indus Appstore -- the new Android-based made-in-India app store that is pitted against the might of Google's Play Store -- has surpassed 100,000 downloads in just three days of launch, according to a release on Monday. Indus Appstore -- the new Android-based made-in-India app store that is pitted against the might of Google's Play Store -- has surpassed 100,000 downloads …

PhonePe launches app store to take on Google’s Play Store
1 year, 1 month ago

PhonePe launches app store to take on Google’s Play Store

Hindustan Times  

Walmart-backed Indian fintech PhonePe on Wednesday launched its app store for Android called Indus Appstore, becoming the first Indian rival to Google’s Play Store. The company is in conversation with multiple phone manufacturers so that the app store can come pre-loaded on different Android cellphones, founder and PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam said at the launch event in Delhi. “We are …

PhonePe launches Indus Appstore to rival Google Play Store in India
1 year, 1 month ago

PhonePe launches Indus Appstore to rival Google Play Store in India

Live Mint  

PhonePe, a Walmart Inc. owned fintech, has launched a mobile application store for consumers in India. Dubbing themselves as “game-changer in India’s digital journey”, PhonePe's latest launch comes as a part of their bid to capitalise on growing mobile usage in the world’s second-largest smartphone market. According to the official press statement by PhonePe, Indus Appstore will have more than …

PhonePe's Indus Appstore launched in India, to rival Google Play Store: All you need to know
1 year, 1 month ago

PhonePe's Indus Appstore launched in India, to rival Google Play Store: All you need to know

India TV News  

PhonePe's Indus Appstore launched in India, to rival Google Play Store: All you need to know Indus Appstore is a homegrown app store designed to rival Google Play Store in India. PhonePe has announced the launch of the Indus app store in India today. The Indus Appstore is a homegrown app store that is designed to rival the Google Play …

Digital Loan Apps in India denied access to user location and call logs: Know Google’s latest guidelines
1 year, 10 months ago

Digital Loan Apps in India denied access to user location and call logs: Know Google’s latest guidelines

India TV News  

Digital loan apps have emerged as a troublesome issue in recent years, exploiting individuals looking for quick and easy money. The companies responsible for these apps no longer have access to sensitive data, including contacts, photos, videos, location information, and call logs from users' devices. Moreover, Google is now demanding that all legitimate app companies provide supporting documentation to verify …

Apple removes 1,474 apps in 2022, THESE many from India
1 year, 10 months ago

Apple removes 1,474 apps in 2022, THESE many from India

India TV News  

Apple removed 1,474 apps from its App Store as per requests from various governments to take down such apps in 2022, including a massive 1,435 from mainland China and just 14 from India. According to the company's '2022 App Store Transparency Report', the Pakistan government requested to take down 10 apps while Russia asked to remove seven apps for violating …

Apple App Store triples payout to developers
1 year, 11 months ago

Apple App Store triples payout to developers

Live Mint  

NEW DELHI :Days ahead of the opening of its first fully-owned retail stores in India, Apple on Sunday said App Store payouts to developers in the country have tripled since 2018. Apple’s first retail store in India is set to open at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex on 18 April, followed by Delhi’s Select Citywalk Mall on 20 April. Apple India’s …

India may have a ‘bad’ news for Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and smartphone makers
2 years ago

India may have a ‘bad’ news for Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and smartphone makers

Live Mint  

The Indian government may soon force smartphone makers to allow users to remove pre-installed apps, a Reuters report says. Citing two people and government document seen by Reuters, the report says that India may soon propose new security rules, mandating screening of major operating system updates. The report says that the India's IT ministry is considering these new rules amid …

Google Antitrust Case: Android phones in India only need to pre-load Google Play Store, shows leaked terms
2 years, 1 month ago

Google Antitrust Case: Android phones in India only need to pre-load Google Play Store, shows leaked terms

Firstpost  

Thanks to Google’s antitrust ruling by the CCI, the Android operating system will see a massive change in how it presents itself to audiences, show leaked terms. Earlier this year, India upheld a judgement that was intended to sever Google’s grip over Android, focusing primarily on the applications Google compelled its partners to install, as well as the company’s control …

Google India Case: Android Phones Could Soon Launch Without Preloaded Google Apps
2 years, 1 month ago

Google India Case: Android Phones Could Soon Launch Without Preloaded Google Apps

News 18  

Google has been battling the Android antitrust case in India for a while, but recently it got a big setback with conditions placed on its business practices. One of the clauses was removing Google apps on Android phones, which means not preloading apps like Chrome, Maps and Gmail on smartphones in the country. Google has been forced to develop a …

Decoding Google’s message about Android’s evolution in India
2 years, 2 months ago

Decoding Google’s message about Android’s evolution in India

Hindustan Times  

Google, after the recent legal battle, is finally moving ahead with compliance according to the directives of the Competition Commission of India ; at least compliance with some of what the CCI mentioned in its report late last year. The issues for which directives were mentioned, some of which later became contentious, include licensing of Android to phone makers with …

Indian government planning to rival Android and iOS, working on more secure OS for phones
2 years, 2 months ago

Indian government planning to rival Android and iOS, working on more secure OS for phones

India Today  

The Indian government is reportedly working on a project to create an Indigenous mobile operating system and offer users a more secure experience. A top government official has confirmed to Business Standard that a new Indian OS would also give more choices and offer healthy competition to Google and Apple, apart from offering a safer experience. Our objective is to …

Apple’s EU move to help Indian techies
2 years, 3 months ago

Apple’s EU move to help Indian techies

Live Mint  

Apple Inc.’s decision to allow third-party app stores to operate on iPhones and iPads in the European Union is likely to have a cascading impact on Indian app developers as well, industry experts said. On 14 December, Bloomberg reported that Apple plans to change a long-standing policy of not allowing app downloads on iOS from third-party stores, following the EU’s …

Google is reviewing CCI's decision to evaluate next steps
2 years, 5 months ago

Google is reviewing CCI's decision to evaluate next steps

India TV News  

Google was hit hard by two back-to-back fines by the Competition Commission of India, and the tech giant has stated today that it is committed to its users and developers and reviewing the decision to evaluate the next steps. Last week, the competition watchdog imposed a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple …

Ending dominance: The Hindu Editorial on Competition Commission of India’s ruling against Google
2 years, 5 months ago

Ending dominance: The Hindu Editorial on Competition Commission of India’s ruling against Google

The Hindu  

The recent order of India’s competition regulator against Google for abusing its dominant position in the Android mobile device ecosystem is significant not just for the amount of penalty imposed but also for the drastic changes in business practices that it requires the IT giant to undertake. On Thursday, the Competition Commission of India imposed a penalty of about ₹1,337 …

Google faces pressure in India to help curb illegal lending apps
2 years, 6 months ago

Google faces pressure in India to help curb illegal lending apps

The Hindu  

Alphabet Inc's Google has been asked by the Indian government and the central bank to introduce more stringent checks to help curb the use of illegal digital lending applications in India, according to sources. Even though Google doesn't fall under the Reserve Bank of India's ambit, the U.S. tech giant has been called several times in the last few months …

Google faces pressure in India to help curb illegal lending apps: Report
2 years, 6 months ago

Google faces pressure in India to help curb illegal lending apps: Report

Live Mint  

Alphabet Inc's Google has been asked by the Indian government and the central bank to introduce more stringent checks to help curb the use of illegal digital lending applications in India, according to sources. Even though Google doesn't fall under the Reserve Bank of India's ambit, the U.S. tech giant has been called several times in the last few months …

India preparing whitelist of legal loan and finance apps, will ban others soon
2 years, 6 months ago

India preparing whitelist of legal loan and finance apps, will ban others soon

India Today  

Illegal loan apps are flooding the Google Play store and Apple App store. On Friday, the Finance ministry expressed concerns over the increasing number of illegal loan apps on the Google Play store and Apple app store. The decision comes after the union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman chaired a meeting to discuss the various issues related …

Indian govt bans employees from using VPN, Google Drive, and Dropbox
2 years, 9 months ago

Indian govt bans employees from using VPN, Google Drive, and Dropbox

India Today  

The government of India has banned its employees from using third-party and non-government cloud platforms such as Google Drive and Dropbox. The move comes into effect just a few weeks after the government announced the new VPN policy that requires VPN service providers and data centre companies to store user data for up to five years. In addition to VPNs …

CCI Directs Investigation Into Apple's App Store Policies On Allegations Of Unfair Trade Practices
3 years, 3 months ago

CCI Directs Investigation Into Apple's App Store Policies On Allegations Of Unfair Trade Practices

Live Law  

On Friday, the Competition Commission of India directed investigation into the Apple's App Store policies with respect to allegations of unfair trade practices in India raised by a non-government organisation, Together We Fight Society. Apple's policy to mandate in-app purchases and the restriction imposed on the app developers from selecting payment process system of their choice is also in violation …

Indian developers create unique iOS apps for remote work era
3 years, 10 months ago

Indian developers create unique iOS apps for remote work era

India TV News  

As millions struggle to navigate the pandemic, apps have become more essential than ever and Indian iOS developers have found innovative ways to keep people connected, help them learn and work from home. Mustafa Yusuf, born and brought up in India and a past Apple WWDC students' scholarship winner, has created "Tasks: To-Do Lists & Reminders," an app that helps …

Loan apps remain on India Google store despite violations, deaths
4 years, 2 months ago

Loan apps remain on India Google store despite violations, deaths

Al Jazeera  

Indian officials are investigating dozens of lending apps following the suicides of at least two borrowers in the past month. At least 10 Indian lending apps on Google’s Play Store, which have been downloaded millions of times, breached Google rules on loan repayment terms aimed at protecting vulnerable borrowers, according to a Reuters news agency review of such services and …

Google - Paytm Feud: Is It Time To Regulate Application Stores In India?
4 years, 5 months ago

Google - Paytm Feud: Is It Time To Regulate Application Stores In India?

Live Law  

Recently, the Paytm application. With this background, this article examines how application stores such as Google's Play Store are regulated in India. The authors recommend that a similar legislation must be contemplated for the regulation of application stores and mobile applications in India as well in order to curb inordinate exercise of power by application stores over their listed apps …

Why vocal for local won’t bother Google
4 years, 5 months ago

Why vocal for local won’t bother Google

Live Mint  

BENGALURU/NEW DELHI :For several years, regulators, politicians, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists across the world have been whining about the seemingly limitless power wielded by America’s Big Tech, chiefly, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft. These companies have made a range of allegations against the American search giant: Google’s Play Store is exploiting its dominant position and enforcing unfair policies that …

TikTok and 58 other apps leave Apple and Google app stores after India ban
4 years, 8 months ago

TikTok and 58 other apps leave Apple and Google app stores after India ban

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Apple and Google have removed TikTok and 58 other mostly Chinese apps from …

All apps must adhere to India's data integrity, privacy: Niti Aayog CEO
4 years, 9 months ago

All apps must adhere to India's data integrity, privacy: Niti Aayog CEO

India TV News  

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said all apps released in India must adhere to the country's data integrity, privacy and sovereignty, a day after the government banned 59 apps. Asserting that India has to be a data sovereign country, Kant also said apps must be transparent in terms of origin and final destination of data. "All Apps released …

59 Chinese Apps Banned in India: Here is the Full List
4 years, 9 months ago

59 Chinese Apps Banned in India: Here is the Full List

News 18  

The government of India has announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps that were listed on the Google Play Store and the Apple iOS App Store in India. The list includes the popular short video service TikTok, browser and content app UC Browser, file sharing service Shareit, women-specific fashion shopping app Shein, popular mobile game Clash of Kings, and more. …

Govt says no order to ban Chinese apps like TikTok and others from Google Play, App Store
4 years, 9 months ago

Govt says no order to ban Chinese apps like TikTok and others from Google Play, App Store

India Today  

The Indian Press Information Bureau’s twitter account has posted about yet another fake news forward doing the rounds online. This time it seems to be a doctored government order instructing tech companies to restrict the functioning of a few China-made smarphone applications in India. Under the header of the National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the image …

‘Privacy minefield’: India COVID-19 app raises surveillance fears
4 years, 11 months ago

‘Privacy minefield’: India COVID-19 app raises surveillance fears

Al Jazeera  

Experts raise privacy concerns over government’s Aarogya Setu app, now mandatory for public and private sector workers. Indian authorities have made a contact-tracing mobile app mandatory for all public and private sector employees, raising concerns among digital rights experts about privacy and increased surveillance. “Use of Aarogya Setu app shall be made mandatory for all employees, both private and public,” …

7 Useful Apps by Government of India launched on Google Play: Download right now BHIM Apps, Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan
5 years, 8 months ago

7 Useful Apps by Government of India launched on Google Play: Download right now BHIM Apps, Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan

India TV News  

For making India digitally compatible, the union government as part of the Digital India initiative, for the last five years has introduced many new mobile apps that offer services faster with enhanced user experience. BHIM App BHIM, also known as 'Bharat Interface for Money' is an app launched to make India cash free. UMANG App UMANG, also known as 'Unified …

After Google, TikTok also vanishes from Apple app stores in India
5 years, 11 months ago

After Google, TikTok also vanishes from Apple app stores in India

Live Mint  

The Chinese video app TikTok is no longer available in Google and Apple app stores in India after a state court prohibited its downloads, a setback for developer Bytedance Technology's efforts to tap users in a key market. A court in Tamil Nadu asked the government on April 3 to ban TikTok, saying it encouraged pornography and warning that sexual …

India beats US to become top country to download 6bn apps from Google Play Store: App Annie report
8 years, 2 months ago

India beats US to become top country to download 6bn apps from Google Play Store: App Annie report

Firstpost  

India zipped past the US to become the top country that registered 6 billion downloads from Google’s Play Store in 2016, according to analytics firm App Annie. “India’s app market grew massively outpacing the US to surpass it as the #1 country by Google Play downloads, from around 3.5 billion downloads in 2015 to over 6 billion downloads in 2016,” …

Step towards Digital India: 5 things to know about PM Modi's Dream App, UMANG
8 years, 11 months ago

Step towards Digital India: 5 things to know about PM Modi's Dream App, UMANG

India TV News  

Step towards Digital India: 5 things to know about PM Modi's Dream App, UMANG New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is all set to launch its master application, which will have all the government services integrated. The app will have almost 200 government services including passport services, land New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is all set to launch its …

Google will soon offer paid apps on Play Store for as low as Rs 10
9 years, 7 months ago

Google will soon offer paid apps on Play Store for as low as Rs 10

Firstpost  

Google is introducing some changes to its Google Play Store in India to make it more enticing for developers. Taking cue from Apple, Google will now offer developers the option to price their apps as low as Rs 10 in India. According to a blog by Google India, Alistair Pott, Product Manager at Google Play said, “India continues to be …

Google India to launch mobile app development contest for PMO
10 years, 6 months ago

Google India to launch mobile app development contest for PMO

Firstpost  

Google India, in collaboration with MyGov, the citizen engagement platform of the government, will be launching a nationwide contest to develop a mobile app for the Prime Minister’s Office. “The mobile app will bring the PMO to every citizen and the contest will showcase how Indians can build a world class app,” a statement issued by Google India said in …

Google India to launch mobile app development contest for PMO
10 years, 6 months ago

Google India to launch mobile app development contest for PMO

India TV News  

New Delhi: Google India in collaboration with the citizen engagement platform of the government, MyGov, will be launching a nationwide contest to develop a mobile app for the Prime Minister's Office. "The mobile app will bring the PMO to every citizen and the contest will showcase how Indians can build a world class app," a statement issued by Google India …

India will produce next breakthrough app: Microsoft
10 years, 11 months ago

India will produce next breakthrough app: Microsoft

India TV News  

New Delhi: Microsoft Corporation has said the next breakthrough software application will come from India, which develops more than 10 per cent of the apps and is home to one of the largest IT industries in the world. There is no secret that India has a lot of software developers," Joseph Landes, General Manager, DPE -Microsoft Corporation in an interview …

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