India's App Market Booms as Global Platforms Dominate Revenue

India's mobile app market is setting new revenue records, with in-app purchases exceeding $300 million in the first quarter—a 33% year-over-year increase, according to Sensor Tower. However, a significant portion of this spending is going to global platforms.

Non-gaming applications were the primary growth engine in Q1, generating over $200 million in in-app purchase revenue. This represents a 44% year-over-year surge and an increased share of total spending, as noted in Sensor Tower's report. Key drivers included utility tools, video streaming services, and generative AI applications.

This advancement signals a wider transformation in India's app ecosystem. Annual in-app purchase revenue has climbed from $520 million in 2021 to over $1 billion in 2025, with projections reaching $1.25 billion this year, per Sensor Tower. While annual downloads have plateaued around 25 billion, user engagement time continues to rise, indicating deeper app interaction and a growing user propensity to pay for digital services.

Global platforms captured much of India's Q1 spending, with top earners including Google One, Facebook, ChatGPT, and YouTube. Domestic companies held stronger positions in video streaming, with JioHotstar and SonyLIV ranking high. A similar trend was seen in downloads, led by ChatGPT, Instagram, and the Chinese short-drama app FreeReels, followed by Indian apps like Story TV, JioHotstar, and Meesho.

Image Credits:Sensor Tower

Donny Kristianto, principal market insights manager at Sensor Tower, told TechCrunch that India's app market has reached maturity in terms of downloads, but monetization is gaining strength as usage intensifies and digital payment methods become more commonplace.

Despite the progress, India remains a comparatively low-spending market. Sensor Tower data shared with TechCrunch reveals it generates approximately $0.03 in revenue per download, versus over $0.20 in Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Although emerging categories are fueling growth, consumer spending is still focused on a few established areas. Productivity, social media, and video streaming apps dominate the revenue charts. Video streaming alone constitutes about half of the top 10 revenue-generating apps, highlighting its exceptional monetization capacity, the data indicates.

Nevertheless, evolving user preferences point to additional growth potential. Downloads of generative AI apps jumped 69% year-over-year, with ChatGPT featuring among the leaders in both installations and revenue. India has consistently been ChatGPT's largest user base, while other AI apps are also expanding their presence.

Short-drama platforms are expanding even more rapidly, with downloads soaring over 400%, spearheaded by apps such as FreeReels. This trend suggests India's app market is still in the early phases of monetization, even as new app categories broaden the scope of what users are prepared to pay for.