At a time when the Indian startup ecosystem has been up in arms against Google’s Play Store policies, Paytm has announced the launch of its Android Mini App Store to support ‘Indian developers to take their innovative products to the masses’. Mini apps are a custom-built mobile websites that gives users app-like experience without having to download them.
Paytm is letting Indian developers list and distribute their apps, which can be built using HTML and javascript technologies, for free without charges, it said in a statement. Developers can offer payment via Paytm Wallet, Paytm Payments Bank, UPI, net-banking and Cards to their users.
It is offering Paytm wallet, Paytm Payments Bank account and UPI at zero charges and levies a 2% charge for other instruments like credit cards.
Paytm said in a statement that more than 300 app-based service providers such as Decathalon, Ola, Park+, Rapido, Netmeds, 1MG, Domino's Pizza, FreshMenu, NoBroker have already joined the program.
It comes with a developer dashboard for analytics, payments collection along with various marketing tools to engage with the users. This app store has been running in beta with select users and witnessed over 12 million visits in the month of September.
"I am proud that we are today launching something that creates an opportunity for every Indian app developer. Paytm Mini App Store empowers our young Indian developers to leverage our reach and payments to build new innovative services. For Paytm users, it will be a seamless experience that doesn't require any separate download and enables them to use their preferred payment option,” Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder & CEO - Paytm said in a statement.
Google has been facing a backlash from developers and India’s startup ecosystem over the past month over its Play Store policies, with Paytm’s Vijay calling out its monopoly. Paytm and its gaming app Paytm First Games was pulled down from the Play store earlier this month for violating its gambling policies.
Following this, Swiggy and Zomato received notices from Google that the in-app gamification feature used by the apps violate Google’s Play Store guidelines.
Google has also enforced its policy of using only Google’s payment system for all in-app purchases of apps on the Play Store, which gives it 30% commission on each transaction.