Paytm, the homegrown digital payments and fintech platform, has launched its Mini App Store with the aim of furthering the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission. The move aims to support Indian developers by bringing their product to the masses. The Mini App Store apps are a personalized mobile website that is claimed to offer an app-like experience without having to download them. Paytm says it offers the listing and distribution of these applets within the app store at no charge. For developers, it offers Paytm Wallet, Paytm payments Bank, UPI, network banking as payment options for its users. However, it charges a 2 percent fee for other payments like credit cards.
In addition, Paytm has created a digital infrastructure to allow small developers and businesses Configure applets that can be created using HTML and JavaScript technologies. Currently, the Paytm Android-Mini app store has more than 300 app-based service providers, including Decathalon, Ola, Park +, Rapido, Netmeds, 1MG, Domino’s Pizza, FreshMenu, among others. It has a development panel for analysis, collection of payments along with other marketing tools to interact with users. Paytm says it has been running the Andriod-Mini app store in beta with select users and witnessed over 12 million visits in September.
Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma said, “I am proud that we are launching something today which creates an opportunity for all Indian application developers. Paytm Mini App Store enables our young Indian developers to leverage our reach and payments to create innovative new services. For Paytm users, it will be a seamless experience that requires no separate download and allows them to use their preferred payment option.“
The launch of the Paytm Mini App Store is seen as a direct challenge for Google’s Play Store. It comes just days after Google removed the Paytm app from the Play Store for promoting online gambling and violating app store guidelines. Google charges a 30 percent commission for any transaction made through its in-app billing system. “India needs a long-term local app store; otherwise, the 30 percent tax will consume most businesses; Is anyone trying to build one? “Razorpay’s Harshil Mathur said a week before the official launch of the Paytm Mini App Store.
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