India is starting to pay for apps, not just download them

India’s mobile app market hit a record $345 million in consumer spending in Q2, up 35% year over year, according to Sensor Tower. Growth is increasingly coming from generative AI, streaming, and productivity apps rather than gaming, helped by wider use of digital payments and subscriptions.

India is becoming a more attractive market for app developers because its huge user base is starting to convert into paying customers. The shift suggests emerging markets with strong payment infrastructure can move quickly from scale to monetization, especially around recurring digital services.