India continues to be Apple’s most significant market prospect after China. However, expanding its operations in India necessitates some compromises with the local government. A modest investment of $1 billion in 2019 helped facilitate iPhone exports from India. Recently, the Indian government has urged Apple to include its government-supported app store on the iPhone.
According to a recent Bloomberg report, India has requested that both Apple and Google make the Gov.in app store accessible on iOS and Android platforms. While India’s state-backed applications are currently listed on the Apple App Store, the government wants its app marketplace to be more prominently featured.
Last month, the country’s technology ministry summoned executives from Apple, Google, and other smartphone manufacturers to discuss providing direct access for Indians to the government’s application suite. Officials have urged these tech companies to make the state-backed GOV.in app store accessible within their marketplaces, including both Apple and Android, said sources who wished to remain anonymous as the discussions are not yet public.
Apple’s policy does not allow app stores within its App Store, and third-party marketplaces are only available where legally mandated. Consequently, this request might necessitate legal action from India for Apple to comply.
In Russia, Apple went so far as to display a government-required list of state-supported apps to iPhone users at setup. This could also happen in India, according to Bloomberg:
The ministry aims to enhance the distribution of its public welfare services via technology. They also wish for the state-backed app suite to be pre-installed on mobile devices before sale and downloadable from third-party sources without warnings like “untrusted source,” they stated.
Given the opportunities Apple recognizes in India — including tapping into a vast market and diversifying manufacturing away from China — this may be a confrontation Apple is prepared to accept. Advocating for local government apps does not equate to allowing a backdoor into iOS, for instance. What are your thoughts?
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