UPDATE
28 April 2025
New study finds App Store ecosystem in India facilitated ₹44,447 crore in billings and sales in 2024
More than 94 percent of billings and sales facilitated by the App Store in India accrued solely to developers, without any commission paid to Apple
Global earnings of India-based developers tripled over past five years
Global earnings of India-based developers tripled over past five years
Today, Apple published a new study conducted by professor Viswanath Pingali from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, who found that the App Store ecosystem in India facilitated ₹44,447 crore ($5.31 billion) in developer billings and sales in 2024. In one of its most important findings, the study showed that more than 94 percent of that commerce accrued solely to developers and businesses of all sizes, without any commission paid to Apple. And over the last five years, the global earnings of India-based developers have tripled, underscoring the tremendous business opportunity and global reach the App Store provides.
“The App Store has been an economic miracle for developers in India and all around the world, and we’re thrilled to support their work,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “This study underlines the power of India’s incredibly vibrant app economy. And we’re committed to keep investing in the success of developers of all sizes as they build apps that make an important impact and enrich people’s lives.”
The study from professor Pingali takes a closer look at the key drivers shaping the App Store ecosystem in India, including increased app usage in sectors like food delivery, travel, gaming, entertainment, and education. In 2024 alone, App Store developers generated ₹38,906 crore ($4.65 billion) in total billings and sales from the sale of physical goods and services, ₹3,014 crore ($352.9 million) from in-app advertising, and ₹2,527 crore ($302 million) from digital goods and services.
Since its launch more than 15 years ago, the App Store has provided developers with more ways than ever to monetise their apps and build successful businesses, resulting in a healthy and dynamic ecosystem. In 2024, developers active in India have been successful across a diverse range of app categories such as games, health and fitness, lifestyle, and utilities.
Establishing Global Success on the App Store
The App Store’s ecosystem of innovation provides Apple developers around the world with a global distribution platform across 175 storefronts. In 2024, close to 80 percent of India-based developers’ App Store earnings came from users outside of the country, and 87 percent of developers were active on multiple storefronts. Moreover, throughout the same year, users from all over the world downloaded apps from developers in India more than 75.5 crore (755 million) times through the App Store — twice as many as five years ago. Many apps from India-based developers have also appeared on the most-downloaded app charts in storefronts outside of India, and apps from India-based developers were in the top 100 most-downloaded apps in 70 storefronts outside of India.
Entrepreneurs like Rama Krishna, Fluid Touch’s founder, have relied on the App Store to expand the reach of their apps. Fluid Touch launched its popular note-taking app, Noteshelf, in 2010, giving users a way to minimise distractions and keep users focused on the task at hand. Available in over 150 countries and 10 languages, the app utilises Apple technologies like Interactive Widgets and Apple Intelligence to provide users with well-crafted notes and a customised experience.
“Noteshelf is the preferred note-taking app for millions of users worldwide, and we’re incredibly proud of the business we’ve been able to build on the App Store over the last decade,” said Krishna. “We remain committed to delivering the best experience possible for our users, and through Apple’s vast amount of technologies and resources like the Apple Developer Center in Bengaluru, we’ve been able to do just that.”
Developers Thrive in Apple’s Ecosystem
In addition to building successful global businesses on the App Store, developers continue to reach local audiences across India. In the last five years, downloads from Indian users have more than tripled, and earnings from these users have increased more than fivefold. Notably, India-based developers have also designed popular apps targeted at India’s growing quick commerce and gig economy industries. These apps provide essential on-demand services, making daily tasks more convenient for millions of users while providing workers with access to flexible job opportunities in the country.
Small developers, in particular, have been supported by Apple’s ecosystem. The total App Store earnings of small developers increased by 74 percent between 2021 and 2024. Initiatives like the App Store Small Business Program, designed to support small developers, provide a reduced commission rate for these developers.
Lumy, a sun and moon tracking app, is just one example of how local developers are finding success on the storefront. Recognised as a 2024 App Store Award Winner, founder Raja Vijayaraman has relied on the App Store to put his app into the hands of more users across the world. As a solo developer, Vijayaraman utilises a variety of resources to help further his mission, including Apple’s Small Business Program. With support from Apple, Vijayaraman has been able to build out new features in Lumy, such as State of Mind, which offers users personalised sunlight suggestions like stepping outside for a break or enjoying a peaceful sunset.
“As a mechanical engineer turned developer, I started from scratch with no coding background or industry connections,” says Vijayaraman. “Apple’s developer resources, design guidance, and powerful technologies like SwiftUI have empowered me to create apps like Lumy, reaching users worldwide. The App Store made it possible for an indie creator like me to turn passion into a sustainable career. It’s heartening to receive emails from people across cultures sharing how my apps improve their daily routines.”
Resources for Developers at Every Stage of Their Journey
Apple is committed to helping developers across India build their app businesses. In order to create even more opportunities, Apple has worked closely with developers and aspiring coders to help them build the skills they need to become world-class app creators. This includes the Apple Developer Center in Bengaluru, where Apple engineers work one-on-one with developers from across India to help them create impactful apps and take advantage of developer tools, including more than 250,000 APIs as part of frameworks such as HealthKit, Metal, and Core ML.
The App Store is the safest and best place for users to discover and download apps and games. This is made possible by Apple’s industry-leading tools, a rigorous App Review process, and robust privacy and security protections. These safeguards don’t just benefit users — they also protect developers from fraud and abuse, including payment fraud, fake reviews, and manipulation of search results and charts. This work is essential because user trust in the App Store and Apple’s ecosystem directly benefits developers by creating a secure, high-quality marketplace.
From 2020 through 2023, Apple prevented a combined total of over $7 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions, including more than $1.8 billion in 2023. The App Store also rejected more than 1.7 million app submissions for failing to meet privacy, security, and quality standards. Features like App Tracking Transparency and Privacy Nutrition Labels have empowered users with even more information on how their apps use their data.
Apple will continue to invest in its long-standing commitment to protect the quality and security of the App Store and deliver the best experience for users and developers through a robust set of features, tools, and technologies.
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