Chinese apps' market share slips in India as desi players dominate install volume: Report
Chinese apps' market share fell to 29 percent, while Indian apps recorded 40 percent install volume in the country last year.
The market share of Chinese apps in India slipped in 2020, even as homegrown ones climbed up the ladder dominating the install volume, according to a report.
Semi-urban areas fuelled the growth of India's app economy and domestic apps dominated the mobile marketplace beating foreign players, says the 'State of App Marketing in India in 2021' report launched by AppsFlyer, a mobile attribution and marketing analytics firm.
AppsFlyer India Manager Sanjay Trisal said that as Chinese apps slipped in terms of overall market share (29 percent), Indian apps leveraged this opportunity by dominating the install volume (40 percent) in the country last year.
Apps from Israel, the United States, Russia, and Germany made further inroads into this rapidly growing market and are in line to challenge China, he said.
The study analysed 7.3 billion installs recorded in India from January 1 to November 30, 2020, including 4,519 apps covering entertainment, finance, shopping, gaming, travel, news, food and drink, and utility verticals.
The data sample also includes 933 billion app opens and 3 billion remarketing conversions, an AppsFlyer statement said.
Demand from semi-urban areas fired up India's app consumption, it said.
States with predominantly semi-urban areas emerged as the new sweet spots for mobile usage.
Uttar Pradesh, India's most populated state, led the market in non-organic installs at 12.10 percent, leaving behind Maharashtra at 11.49 percent "due to the impact of lockdown".
Due to the availability of cheaper mobile data and handsets, Tier-II, III, and IV cities saw a rise in mobile usage in gaming, finance, and entertainment.
"Closer to home, it is encouraging to see Tier-II and Tier-III markets provide tough competition to the metros when it comes to gaming, entertainment, and fintech," said Trisal. "Regional content is a key byproduct of this trend, and it will be the next big pivot for app marketers."
Edited by Lena Saha