PhonePe-owned app platform Indus Appstore co-founder Rakesh Deshmukh has stepped down as its CEO after a decade-long stint. This move comes as Indus Appstore gears up to launch its Android mobile app marketplace in the coming months.
His next move remains unclear. In a LinkedIn post, Deshmukh said that he is ‘taking a moment to recharge and prepare for the next impactful journey.’
“We wish Rakesh the very best for his future endeavors. Akash, Sudhir and the entire Indus team remain steadfast in their commitment to advancing the shared vision for the Indus Appstore, which Rakesh played a pivotal role in nurturing over the past decade,” said a PhonePe spokesperson.
Founded in 2013 by Akash Dongre and Sudhir Bangarambandi, PhonePe acquired Indus OS in July 2022 after a long protracted legal battle. Dongre is currently serving as the chief product officer of Indus Appstore while Bangarambandi is serving as its Chief technology officer.
The Indus Appstore will go live in the next two to three months, Akash Dongre, Co-founder and CPO had yold businessline.
The app marketplace said it will charge a zero percent fee on in-app purchases, as compared to Google that currently levies a 15-30 percent fee from developers on in-app purchases and paid app sales.
It also offer a 24×7 dedicated India-based support via email or chatbot with assured assistance and quick resolution of queries, in a bid to address a common pain point that developers have often faced with Google and Apple. The platform will also offer dedicated account managers.
In November 2023, it onboarded game developers Dream11, Nazara Technologies, Gameskraft, A23, Mobile Premier League, RummyCulture and others on its app publishing platform ahead of its public launch.
Indus Appstore will allow developers to list their apps in 12 Indian languages apart from English, as well as upload media and videos to their app listings in these languages.
PhonePe said it has struck partnerships with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) such as Nokia and Motorola to integrate the app store into their devices.
