Bharti app store clocks 2.5 mn downloads

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Bharti Airtel, India's leading mobile operator, said on Thursday its mobile applications store had clocked more than 2.5 million downloads in its first month of launch, with users in smaller cities leading.

Social networking and utility applications were the most popular among users, the company said in a statement on Thursday. It had launched India's first mobile applications store in February.

Globally, Apple Inc's App Store had proved extremely popular, with one billion applications downloaded in less than a year. Phone makers, operators and technology firms including Nokia, Research In Motion, Vodafone and Microsoft Corp have also sought a piece of the pie.

Among other Indian mobile operators, Reliance Communications and Aircel have also announced plans to launch mobile applications stores.