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Apple on Monday published a study highlighting the growing impact of its App Store ecosystem in India, revealing that it facilitated ₹44,447 crore ($5.31 billion) in developer billings and sales in 2024. The study, conducted by Professor Viswanath Pingali of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), found that more than 94% of this commerce went directly to developers and businesses without commission fees to Apple.
It also noted that global earnings for India-based developers have tripled over the last five years, underscoring the App Store’s role in expanding global reach. “The App Store has been an economic miracle for developers in India and around the world,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “This study underlines the power of India’s incredibly vibrant app economy.
” According to the findings, developers generated ₹38,906 crore from physical goods and services, ₹3,014 crore from in-app advertising, and ₹2,527 crore from digital goods and services. App categories such as gaming, health and fitness, lifestyle, and utilities saw notable growth. The report also showed that nearly 80% of earnings for India-based developers in 2024 came from international markets, with 87% of developers active on multiple storefronts.
Apps from India were downloaded over 755 million times globally—double the figure from five years ago—and featured among the top 100 most-downloaded apps in 70 different countries. Apple said initiatives like the App Store Small Business Program have helped small developers thrive, with their earnings rising 74% between 2021 and 2024. The company also noted its efforts to foster developer growth in India through programmes like the Apple Developer Center in Bengaluru, while reiterating its commitment to user security and privacy.
Apple said it blocked over $7 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions between 2020 and 2023, including $1.8 billion last year alone..
