iOS is a different matter but Android has always allowed this. Not sure if they exist in India, but I have seen Android phones come with non Google App Store as well.
1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/panosmourdoukoutas/2018/09/13/s...
What is the problem with this? If the device manufacturers don't want to preload the Indian Appstore then they can prevent sale of their devices in India. If they agree, and this is limited to India only, then what is the problem?
https://9to5mac.com/2020/08/17/indian-iphone-production-begi...
They only collect a limited subset of taxes (VAT). The larger part of income is to the US and isn't taxed in India yet.
Do you have any good examples where you think innovation has been stifled on the play store? (Apple's app store aside)
examples?
At this point it doesnt seem there is any potential for making a profitable app company, the profit would be to be acquired
Indian Government being arbiter of the app ecosystem on a phone and pre installing apps? Ominous vibes. Good luck with your desire for competition and innovation.
[1] - https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/industry/artic...
In the Delhi riots early this year, the government used data gathered from the national database to track and arrest protesters. Imagine what they could do if they could track your phones. At least Google is only selling me real estate ads (woefully inaccurate ones too) and not actively trying to imprison me or my family (bonus points if you're a minority).
The tech industry thrived precisely because there is little regulation.
If your apps have to go through the Indian government to be published, be prepared to pay bribes to pass through the regulatory hurdles and needless paperwork.
No Indian government in my living memory has worked to reduce regulations and compliance, including the current one.
This Indian government has certainly reduced regulations and compliance - if you're in the B club. I have a distant grand uncle and an uncle both in the B club. They were essentially waved through to set up shop in UP - even though they're Muslim, openly religious and practicing, and have literally been photographed very often inviting Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders to their homes right before elections.
Money talks. I mentioned in another comment on HN, that if you are in the B club, you're likely the one ordering the gangsters in the government.
People can be justifiably afraid of the government without doing anything wrong, especially if the government has a track record of abusing tools at its disposal, enforcing unjust laws, or failing to maintain a good balance of civil rights (such as to peaceful protest - not the same as rioting) needed in a healthy democracy.
Nor can they use ignorance as an excuse - they're Indian.
For Apple hell yes, maybe their government app store will be less anal than Apple is with their own app store, and e.g. allow other payment channels and allow embedding other rendering engines than Safari.
For Google though ... why wouldn't one just use the Google store instead? It's pretty open, and if their government's motive is to just create a subset of the Play store that doesn't have Chinese apps, why the hell would anyone use it?
And if the government is forcing the entire population to use its app store -- do they have the authority to do that? I thought India was a democracy with free speech.
The First Amendment is radically unprecedented and unique, in its text, judicial upholding and cultural backing.
While India technically has freedoms of speech, in practice it is heavily regulated [1].
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_expression_in_Ind...
I disagree. It's the quite opposite. So many popular apps don't even get a notice before getting banned, let alone small indie developers trying to get some users.
>> why the hell would anyone use it?
Not sure about others but I definetly don't want a US company to put nose in everything I do online. Plus I don't want to give a 30% cut for a regional app that I can publish on some local platform for local users. And I would rather deal with low quality apps than popular apps disappearing every now and then just because Google doesn't like them.
>> do they have the authority to do that?
Yes but it's not practical in country like India to enforce it. Free speech and what govt can regulate about internet are different things as far I've seen.
The Indian government can block all other app stores, require app developers and mobile OSes install spyware SDKs and turn over data about their users, and ban encryption. Then, the "subversives," academics, and journalists can be rounded-up.
Apple should certainly allow alternative app stores, and Google should make it easier and safer for customers to install alternative app stores, but I never want to see governments get into that market.
It will be messy, it will open oportunities to corruption, lobbying, crappy user experiences, unsafe apps, government abuse, nationalism, ... it is really a Pandora box.
But mess can be a fertile ground for competition and innovation when excessive regulation blocks it.
Today's app stores are just feature development labs for Apple & Google. There is no chance that anyone will be able to create a big business within any app store and keep Apple or Google out. Just ask big players as Steam, Facebook and Microsoft how they feel about Google's and Apple's stores.
If you're in the apps development business then you're just looking for golden opportunities for Apple/Google and being very badly payed for that.