New Delhi: Alcatel has entered into a strategic OEM partnership with PhonePe’s Indus Appstore to pre-install the homegrown app marketplace on all its smartphones sold in India. The move is aimed at offering users a localized app discovery experience while enhancing alternatives to dominant global app stores.
The Indus Appstore, developed by PhonePe, provides access to mobile applications across 45 categories, supports 12 Indian languages, and includes voice search in 10 regional languages. Its video-based app discovery feature allows users to preview apps before downloading, catering to regional preferences and digital literacy levels.
This partnership is being implemented in collaboration with NxtCell India, the exclusive brand licensee for Alcatel in India and select international markets. NxtCell has positioned the agreement as part of its strategy to align with the Government of India’s Make in India initiative, by integrating local technology into its device offerings.
Alcatel is set to re-enter the Indian smartphone market, and the integration of the Indus Appstore from the first boot is expected to serve as a key differentiator. The move also expands Indus Appstore’s distribution footprint and offers app developers a broader channel to reach Indian users.
The partnership reflects a growing industry trend of embedding region-specific services directly into hardware, aligning with regulatory and market expectations around digital sovereignty and user choice. No financial details of the agreement have been disclosed.
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