How DIY apps can promote hyper local?

Jay Shapiro

MUMBAI, INDIA: Although many would never have thought it possible just a few short years ago, India today is home to one of the most dynamic and exciting mobile app economies on the planet.

As more and more brands offer affordable, Android OS-enabled devices, mobile adoption rates in India are simply exploding. The number of smart phone users has grown by nearly 54 percent over the course of the last year, and it’s expected that 382 million Indians will own a smart phone by the beginning of 2016.

In light of the smart phone’s rapid proliferation throughout the country, it was obvious that India’s mobile app usage rates also grew by an impressive 131 percent last year, comfortably outpacing the global average.

And the growth pattern shows no signs of slowing anytime soon—the Indian mobile market expects to see over 9 billion downloads in 2015, with revenue from paid app purchases exceeding Rs 15 billion ($240 million)— up 72 percent from Rs 9 billion ($140 million) the sector generated in 2014.

Development goes local

As smart phone technology has pervaded the region over the past few years, the Indian developer community has grown and matured in kind. In fact, India is expected to have the largest Android developer community on the planet by the end of 2016.

Somewhat surprisingly, it’s estimated that up to 80 percent of mobile downloads in India are global apps. But as more and more Indians gain access to smart phones and the demand for localized services and digital content increases, the local app market remains largely unclaimed. Due to this fact, experts are predicting an app revolution in the coming year, through which the developer community’s focus will shift from globalized services to connecting small businesses and individuals on the local level.

But in reality, the revolution has already begun. As DIY app building tools become more accessible, people all over the world are capitalizing on the technology and building their own apps to tap into the inherent advantages of the mobile platform.

And Indians are no exception to the trend. What’s clear is that the introduction of DIY app building tools has set off an important shift in the mind-set of developers across the globe. Instead of creating one app to meet the needs of millions of users, people are now building millions of different apps to serve their small business, local community, or personal needs.

Companies like Innovation India, a veterinary rehabilitation supply company in Uttar Pradesh, and Harra Abad, a clothing retailer in Ahmedabad are taking advantage of AppMakr’s user-friendly platform to build their own apps that help them connect with local customers, all while avoiding the often debilitating ancillary cost of hiring an independent. The point is, as mobile apps become further ingrained in the everyday lives of hundreds of millions of Indians, now anyone can build their own mobile app to capitalize on India’s rapidly expanding mobile market—regardless of the scale, focus, or resources of their enterprise.

The article is authored by Jay Shapiro, CEO and co-Founder, AppMakr