If you’re looking to enter the Indian app market or have a mobile app created by an Indian app development company, you’re in the right place.
The mobile app market in India is one of the fastest growing in the world – in mid 2015, 52 million more people accessed the internet over the previous year across the subcontinent. Mobile transactions are also driving the movement: In early 2016, some 200 million mobile wallets were open in the country.
The great news is that has led to a large number of mobile app development companies, especially around the cities of Bengaluru and Hyderabad.A large portion of mobile app developers in India focus on Android over iOS, but with India’s strong university system providing talented app developers, Indian app devs are spoilt for choice.
Indian app development and software development companies are often the partner of choice for enterprise clients in the US and Europe as they can offer higher capacity and significantly lower cost services. Frequently agencies in other markets will also use Indian teams to help complete projects.
In this guide, we’ll give an overview of the app developers market in India – any company that has an office in India qualifiess – and we’ll give some advice on how to choose an app developer, finally ending with some selected app developers in the final part. We’ve divided this guide into four main sections:
- The app developer market in India
- Indian app development costs and statistics
- On outsourcing
- How to choose an app developer
- Selected app development companies in India
The app developer market in India
Within the subcontinent Android, thanks to its higher variety of supported devices and cheaper handsets, holds over 90% of the market share, with iOS coming in at a lowly 2% of all smartphone users in the country.
The developer make-up reflects this. The vast majority of app devs list their skills as either Android-only or Android and iOS.
Indian App Developer Skillset, by Platform.
Source: belong.co
Regional universities and the Indian Institute of Technology supply a wealth of app developers to the country’s market every year. 24% of Android developers on the market have 0-2 years of experience, while 42% have between 2 and 5 years. Similar statistics in iOS development show not that the country is inexperienced, but rather that its developer population is very young.
Geographically, there are a number of hotspots in India, the top three being Bengaluru, the National Capital Region (as the area around New Delhi, including the metropolis, is called) and Hyderabad, with 55% of all Indian Android app developers found in those three areas. iOS is more spread out, with just over 45% of iOS developers in the triad, according to a report by Belong.co.
India App Developer Hotspots
Source: belong.co
As for languages, the most commonly used are JSON, HTML5 and Javascript, with Swift being the classic go-to for iOS developers. The native philosophy to app development is strong in the subcontinent.
In particular, eCommerce development is first choice for many mobile developers in the country, with the sector providing the highest salaries for devs in the country. This is for a number of reasons, such as eCommerce expanding in the subcontinent. As mentioned above, in 2016 there were about 200 million online wallets in India, with more being opened constantly. The “banknote purge” of November 2016 is expected to drive many to resort to mobile transactions and banking for their everyday purchases. The eCommerce sector is riding a very big wave.
Indian app development costs
As of 2016, there are approximately 2 million software developers in India, with about 50,000 of those developing for mobile, and Google is trying to increase the figure for Android specifically. There are also plenty of start-up incubators popping up around the country, with the most successful apps tackling everything from how to wear a Sari to hailing a rickshaw in the more remote parts of Mumbai and New Delhi.
Given the number of app developers in the country, and a relatively low value of the Indian Rupee, app development in India can be relatively cheap compared to American and European prices. On average, globally, it costs approximately $27,000 to develop an iOS app and $23,000 for Android. In India, however, costs are lower:
Median cost per hour, per platform (US Dollars).
Source: statista.com
The median costs are considerably lower than in other regions of the world (in the most expensive region, the US, media cost per hour for iOS development is well above $160). There’s also plenty of choice, with nearly a quarter of all developers skilled in mobile development, and the majority of them clustered around the centres we pointed out above.
On outsourcing
A large attraction to India’s app development market is the lower cost when compared to American and European agencies. One of the cheapest ways to get an app developed is through outsourcing, which you can do yourself on sites like Upwork, but a lot of companies (some of which we’ve listed below) act as middle-men, with a pool of freelance outsourced developers which they will select depending on your app’s requirements. Contact at this point could be direct with the freelancers, especially if you’ve picked them yourself, or through the company.
This approach can be cheaper, but it certainly is very different to hiring a company with in-house developers. A few things you should know about the process:
- You are often responsible for your own design, especially in the UI and UX sphere. You could outsource this as well, but a lot of freelance developers will just do the app “building”. They do not always offer consultancy services.
- If attempting to hire a freelance developer on your own, you’ll have to keep in mind the time difference (9.5 hours with New York, 4.5 with London, and India does not have daylight saving hours so this changes). This is important because a freelance developer might not offer 24/7 contact hours like companies do.
- Language differences are something else to be aware of. A lot of developers in India create apps in one of the country’s 22 official languages, not necessarily in English or even Hindi.
- Savings on app development costs can be very significant, but freelance devs are unlikely to offer other services like the back-end or maintenance and updates after launch. This may require hiring another freelancer or company, or re-hiring the first one – and they might not be available if they’re working on other projects.
While outsourcing your app’s creation directly to a freelance developer could net you considerable savings, the process is complicated and, especially if you’re creating your first-ever application, also quite risky. If you decide to go that route, we suggest working through an outsourcing company to mitigate some of the risk while still retaining a good level of savings. You can check out the list of companies below, which includes some selected by us which have outsourcing models.
How to Choose an Indian App Developer
A two-stage process. First, there’s plenty of research you can do on your own, as well as contacting others in your industry who have published a mobile app:
- Review their portfolio: App characteristics can vary wildly depending on the type of application and its function. Often, previous experience in certain sectors, or with certain functionalities, can make a massive difference to the cost and time invested in a project.
- Recommendations: Just as in any other business, recommendations can go a long way to finding your ideal app developer and discovering what it’s really like to work with them.
- Check out our Market Place: You can sort our directory on app development companies and agencies by country: have a look at the Business of Apps Marketplace.
Once you’ve chosen a few app developers, you can move on to the interview phase.
List of mobile app development companies in India
Founded | Employees | Social | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | 51-200 | 2k+ |
INTUZ is a Global IT Consulting Company. We have been the preferred choice as a technology consulting partner for software application development for SMBs and Startups. Being an AWS Certified, Microsoft Partner, ISO Certified, INTUZ works long term with clients looking for Web, Mobile, IoT, Blockchain and Cloud application development experts. With over 10+ years in the industry, we have provided custom solutions solving real work business challenges.
- Platforms: iOS, Android, IoT, BlockChain
- Sector Focus: Healthcare, Fintech, Retail, Ecommerce, Manufacturing, E-learning, On-demand Solutions, Marketplace
- Key Clients: Bosch, Mercedes AMG, JLL, HolidayInn, Cambridge Publications and more.
- US Office: 18 Bartol Street Suite #130, San Francisco CA 9413
Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 180+ | $16m+ | 5k+ | 47,000 |
Konstant Infosolutions is a globally recognized mobile app development company delivering the best-in-class solutions. Having served businesses, startups, enterprises across all industries, weíve developed over 600 Android, iOS and hybrid mobile apps.
Its team of 180+ professionals possess the finest combination of skills in business analytics, project management, code development, UI/UX design, app prototyping and strategy, web design, quality assurance and various other verticals. With a vision to becoming the top choice of businesses worldwide as a trusted offshore development partner, Konstantinfo continues to follow on-time, in-budget principles and offer cost-effectiveness in each of the projects delivered.
- Platforms: Android, iOS, Flutter, Ionic, React Native, PWA, Internet of Things, Web Development, Mobile Web
- Sector Focus: Real Estate & Property, On-Demand Solutions, Social Networking, Food & Restaurant, Banking, Finance & Insurance, Education & eLearning, Ecommerce, Retail & B2B, Travel & Hospitality, Media & Entertainment, Healthcare & Fitness, Transport & Automotive, Gaming & Leisure, Directory & Organization, Event & Tickets
- Offices: California (USA), Florida (USA), Jaipur (India), UAE
- Key Clients: United Nations, Volkswagen, Stanley Connect, Delmonte, Citrix Systems, Thomasville, Tailored Brands, Reliance Infrastructure, Wonder Cement, Rawbank, Scholastic
- Employees: 180+
- Serving in Industry: 17+ Years
Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 101-200 | 5M | 1800 | 800 |
Founded in 2013, Emizentech has emerged with a plethora of insights and result-driven aspects by delivering cutting-edge mobile app development solutions to clients from all over the globe. Being globally acknowledged as a leading mobile app developer, Emizentech develops futuristic mobile software solutions for all sized businesses, and too with satisfaction.
Learn more about Emizen TechFounded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | 51-200 | $60m+ | 2k+ | 14,100 |
Promatics Technologies is an ISO 9001:2008 certified Mobile App Development Company based in India. With over 5 offices across the globe, Promatics has been delivering native as well as hybrid apps for its clients since several years.
Learn more about PromaticsFounded | Employees | Traffic | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | 201-500 | 35k+ |
GeekyAnts is a product studio specializing in web and mobile development using React, React Native, Flutter, Vue, Angular, NodeJS, Laravel, Python etc.
On the services side, they have worked with around 500+ clients all across the globe. The services provided ranges from business analysis, web and mobile development, UI/UX design, product management, delivery & support.
- Platforms: Android, iOS
- Sector Focus: Healthcare, Communication, Financial.
- UK Office: 7 Bickleigh House, Frogwell Close,
London N15 6ED, England, UK
Founded | Employees | Revenues | Traffic | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | 51-100 | $1-$5 million | 4000 |
NMG Technologies is a global full-cycle software development company building advance websites, software and mobile apps using latest technologies since 2008. NMG Technologies is trusted by enterprises & Fortune 500 companies across 30 countries.
It offers Enterprise Software Development, Dedicated Development Team, IT Consulting, Mobile App Development. As well as the following solutions – Corporate/Business Websites, Enterprise Ecommerce, Blockchain Development, FinTech, Augmented Reality, Cloud Apps , Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things
- Platforms: Android, HTML5, iOS, Mobile Web
- Sector Focus: IoT, FinTech, Chatbot, AR/VR, Blockchain, AI.
- Offices: Delhi, India, London, UK, Las Vegas, US.
Hidden Brains Infotech is an Award Winning Web & Mobile App Development Company committed to provide end-to-end IT services in Web, Mobile, Cloud, CMS and Ecommerce. Right from ideation, UX/UI design, development through final deployment, we have successfully delivered 5000+ Web & 850+ Mobile applications in a span of 12+ years to clients across 97 countries.
Learn more about Hidden BrainsFounded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 51-100 | 0.7 | 2000 | 800 |
Juego Studios is a mobile game development studio with a broad expertise that covers mobile game & app development, enterprise app development, art & design, Augmented Reality tech, VR tech.
- Platforms: Android, iOS
- Sector Focus: Gaming & Entertainment, Banking, Education, Healthcare, Heavy Industries, Pharmaceutical, Real Estate and Automotive.
- Offices:#152, City Road EC1V 2NX, London, UK
- Employees: 50+
Founded in 2008, [x]cube LABS is a leader in mobile app development and consulting. With deep expertise across Mobile, IoT & Wearables, Big Data and Cloud technologies, [x]cube is the partner of choice for several disruptive startups and Fortune 1000 brands like GE, Honeywell, Sharp, UHG, Amazon, Nokia, Dreamworks, Texas Instruments etc.
Learn more about [x]cube LABSFounded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 251-500 | $10m+ | 6.5k+ | 6k+ |
TechBlocks, Inc. is a software consulting and product engineering company headquartered in Toronto, that specializes in development of enterprise applications, products and platforms on web, mobile and cloud.
Learn more about TechBlocksFounded | Employees | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | 101-200 |
Moon Technolabs is one of the esteemed top mobile app development company based in the United States and India established in the year 2009. We deal to provide robust & cost-efficient mobile app development solutions to their clients in all the respective platforms.
Learn more about Moon TechnolabsCode Brew Labs is a mobile focused software development company which has served startups and enterprises all across the globe. We are a team of around 100 people, using the best practices and having the best minds and creativity.
Learn more about Code Brew LabsFounded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | 51-200 | $1m+ | 1k+ | 35k+ |
Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 51-200 | $5m + | 6k + | 74,000 |
hedgehog lab is a global product consultancy which focuses on assisting brands and enterprises in achieving their business goals using emerging technologies. Its team services list consists of services that cover research & insight, product strategy, design, mobile & web app development, AI tech and a number of services for a products scaling – support, analytics and more. Among its key clients are Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Kodak Alaris.
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Web, AR, VR
- Sector Focus: IT and Healthcare
- Offices: Generator Studios, Trafalgar Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 2LA ; 41 Corsham Street, London, N1 6DR.
- Employees: 51+
Octal IT Solution
Serving In 70+ Countries For Web, Software And Mobile App Development
Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | 51-200 | $27m+ | 7k+ | 92,700 |
Octal IT Solution is mobile app software development company that worked with companies ranging from start-up size to Fortune 500 corporations. The company was recognized by multiple research firms such as BWDA, Extract.co, GoodFirms, AppFutura, ITFirms, TeamHunt, Clutch. The company key clients include Oricom, Aviva and FIAT. Since it was founded in 2004 it completed over 700 clients and 3,200 web and mobile app development projects.
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Mobile Web, Windows Mobile
- Sector Focus: Enterprise, Games, Sports, Social, Education
- Offices: Flat L04 Hester House, 72 – 78 Conington Road Lewisham LONDON SE13 7FL
- Employees: 150
Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 51-200 | $6m+ | 2k+ | 19,000 |
Dev Technosys Pvt Ltd is an ISO 9001:2008 certified web and mobile app development company. The company’s key services include: iPhone App Development, Android App Development, Web Design & Development, Enterprise Software Development, CRM Consulting, POS Development, IoT Solutions, Quality Assurance & Testing, Mobile Backend Engineering , Ecommerce Development, On Demand Services
- Platforms: Android, iOS, iPad, Web Development
- Sector Focus: Tourism, Fashion, Fitness, Transportation, Healthcare.
- Office: 60 ST MARTINS LANE, COVENT GARDEN WC2N 4JS, London
- Employees: 51+
AppInventiv Technologies
Enriched UI/UX coupled with the latest technology, that's our secret to make every app a wonderful experience.
INT is an award-winning digital-first enterprise bringing innovative ideas to life since 1997. Offering simple and sustainable digital solutions with the confluence of technology, analytics and marketing, INT is the trusted partner of fastest-growing Agencies, SMEs and Startups across 20+ countries.
INT consultative & collaborative approach is analytics-driven. It helps enterprises to navigate every facet of the digital landscape, to identify growth opportunities, reveal competitive advantages, and define engaging experiences for their customers.
- Platforms: Android, HTML5, Mobile Web
- Sector Focus: Media & Publishing, Banking, Real Estate, Insurance, Government, Financial Services, Retail
- Offices: Kolkata, India, Mumbai, India
Rightpoint
We are an independent customer experience agency with technology at our core.
Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | 51-200 | $5m+ | 3k+ | 2,700 |
Robosoft Technologies
Robosoft Technologies : Full-service digital experiences agency | Digital Advisory | Design Strategy | Engineering Services
Founded | Employees | Social | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 51-200 | 5k+ |
Founded | Employees | Revenues | Social | Traffic |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 201-500 | $5m+ | 6.5k+ | 46,000 |