India’s mobile market just got savvier. A new IIM Ahmedabad study shows that the App Store ecosystem in India facilitated a staggering ₹44,447 crores in developer billings and sales in 2024, with over 94 per cent of that sum flowing directly to creators, no Apple commission required. The research, led by Professor Viswanath Pingali, also reveals that developer billings in India have tripled globally in five years, spotlighting a thriving app economy in India driven by food delivery, travel, gaming and more.
In This Article
Key Statistics at a Glance
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Total billings & sales: ₹44,447 crores
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Developer earnings: 94 per cent of total (no commission)
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Physical goods & services: ₹38,906 crores
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In-app advertising: ₹3,014 crores
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Digital goods & services: ₹2,527 crores
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Global Reach and Growth
India-based teams aren’t just earning at home. Nearly 80 per cent of India’s global app earnings came from users abroad, and 87 per cent of developers were active on multiple storefronts. Worldwide downloads of India-made apps hit 755 million in 2024—double the volume of five years ago. Notably, Indian apps have cracked the top-100 charts in 70 international storefronts.
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Success Stories: From Noteshelf to Lumy
Entrepreneurs like Rama Krishna of Fluid Touch demonstrate the potential. His note-taking app, Noteshelf, launched in 2010, now thrives in 150+ countries and 10 languages thanks to Apple tools like Interactive Widgets and app monetisation India strategies. Solo developer Raja Vijayaraman’s Lumy, an award-winning sun-and-moon tracker, leveraged Apple’s small developer program to grow features like State of Mind, offering personalised sunlight advice to millions worldwide.
Supporting Small Developers
Apple’s App Store Small Business Program cut commissions for qualifying developers, fueling a 74 per cent jump in small-developer earnings from 2021 to 2024. This incentive, combined with local resources like the Apple Developer Centre in Bengaluru, has empowered indie creators to turn hobby code into full-time careers.
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Building Skills: Developer Resources
To sustain momentum, Apple has invested heavily in developer education. Through one-on-one sessions at the Bengaluru hub, coders tap into over 250,000 APIs—ranging from HealthKit to Core ML—to polish their apps. This hands-on guidance ensures that India’s next generation of startups can compete on the world stage.
Safeguards and Security
Trust remains paramount. Apple’s rigorous review process and features like App Tracking Transparency blocked over $7 billion in suspected fraud from 2020–2023. With 1.7 million rejected app submissions last year alone, user and developer confidence continues to rise.
