External reports revealed that India is emerging as the biggest 'Developer' globally

Machine learning and artificial intelligence dominate almost every sector globally and deliver a massive effect on Society and business. India is also twinkling as "an app development hub for the world" in the era of artificial intelligence. According to an external report India is likely to overtake the US as the country with the highest number of developers in the future.

Google Play, the app store platform for Android phones, has completed a decennary in India. India will have a "critical role" in developing global apps as its start-ups develop products that are widely used, stated Google Play on Thursday. In an exclusive emailed interview with The Hindu, Aditya Swamy, Director of Play Partnerships at Google, shared the advancement of the local app ecosystem, the platform's creativity towards local developers, app store commission policy, and the future areas of focal point for the company. Google currently announced its Start-up School India program to create 10,000 start-ups in minor cities. Many other initiatives were launched under Google for Start-ups Accelerator program to help women founders in the country. "We will continue to evolve our tools to support developers' business decision-making and evolve our business models to help them grow their businesses," Swamy uttered.

Indian apps and games witness a 200 percent rise in active monthly users and an 80 percent rise in consumer spending on Google Play between 2019 and 2021. "Local developers are also finding global audiences with Indian apps and games seeing a 150% increase in time spent by users outside India in 2021 compared to 2019 on Google Play," Swamy stated and assured Play store will continue to invest in a range of initiatives for local developers. "We will continue to bring the best of our global experience and innovation to India while staying focused on solving local opportunities and challenges. We want to help every developer with an idea capitalize on the potential to reach 2.5 billion monthly active users and 190 countries with Play store."

How important is India as a market for Google Play globally?

Aditya Swamy replied to this question by mentioning that India will progress from a leading app consumption economy to a leading app development hub. External reports specify that India is looking forward to surpassing the US as the country with the highest number of developers in the future. Rising monetization in India also presents a significant opportunity. The country contains a large user base increasingly opening up to online transactions, contributing to the growth of the revenue momentum. A consumer using Indian apps and games in Play store rose 80% in 2021 compared to 2019. India is not only significant for us from a user and a download point of view but also as a rising region for monetization.

How has the local app ecosystem evolved over the past decade?

Aditya Swamy said that in the past decade, we have upgraded into an app-first country. He further elaborated, "Today, we are witnessing apps empowering communities, creating jobs, and contributing to economic growth. India has passed a milestone of 100 unicorns, and a significant section of these businesses are driven by apps. Today, apps have become a necessary part of every Indian's life and are creating a new generation of internet users. A thriving ecosystem of developers and start-ups in India has made this possible. At Google Play, we are blessed to have been a partner in this journey and to help turn ideas into businesses."

How has Google Play evolved in India and supported local developers in the past decade?

Aditya Swamy said that we have always provided help to Indian developers in building all sizes successfully, and locally relevant businesses. He said, "We assist developers with powerful tools and features, data and insights, programs tailored to their needs, and educational resources to build apps on Play. Google Play's data and analytics have helped developers acknowledge, reach, and build for local and global audiences on Google Play. we are centralized on showcasing a diverse range of relevant apps for Indian users and have rolled out locally relevant forms of payment like the UPI and recharge codes. We have also helped developers with training and development programs."

What are your areas of focus for the future?

Aditya Swamy replied to this question by mentioning that we are lying at the cusp of a tech revolution dominated by apps. He said," We also want to assist every developer with an idea to capitalize on the potential to reach 2.5 billion monthly active users and 190 countries with Google Play. We will keep up evolving our tools and business models to support developers and help them in business growth. We remain committed to building a truly local Play for India and invest in initiatives to ensure a diverse range of developers generate helpful apps on Play. User safety will remain a top priority for us."