Apple’s App Store drives a ₹44,447 crore windfall for Indian developers in 2024

Apple's App Store ecosystem in India generated ₹44,447 crore (around $5.31 billion) in developer billings and sales in 2024, as per a recent study by IIM Ahmedabad professor Viswanath Pingali.

The study, first reported by the business news portal Moneycontrol, highlights that over 94% of this revenue flowed directly to developers without Apple taking a commission. The breakdown of the ₹44,447 crore reveals ₹38,906 crore came from the sale of physical goods and services, ₹3,014 crore from in-app advertising, and ₹2,527 crore from digital goods and services. This reflects the company’s evolving support for the developer community in India which has as many as 15.4 million developers as per GitHub data.

The findings point to particularly strong performances in app categories such as food delivery, travel, gaming, and entertainment. The global footprint of Indian developers has expanded significantly, with 80% of their App Store earnings now coming from outside India. Downloads of India-made apps have doubled over the past five years, reaching over 755 million globally. Success stories like Fluid Touch’s Noteshelf and Raja Vijayaraman’s Lumy illustrate the international appeal of Indian-built apps, aided by Apple's initiatives like the Developer Center in Bengaluru.

Domestically, the App Store’s growth has been equally robust. App downloads within India have tripled, while earnings have surged fivefold over the past five years. Sectors like quick commerce and gig economy services have played a major role in this growth.

Apple CEO Tim Cook described the App Store as an "economic miracle" for Indian developers.

Small developers have seen major benefits with their earnings on the App Store jumping by 74% between 2021 and 2024, helped by programs like Apple’s Small Business Program, which offers reduced commission rates.

Beyond growth and earnings, Apple emphasised the security and trustworthiness of its platform. Between 2020 and 2023, Apple says it prevented over $7 billion in fraudulent transactions and rejected more than 1.7 million apps that failed to meet its quality standards, underscoring its focus on maintaining a safe environment for users and developers alike.