The Benefits of App Localization in India

Hir ritso mikinia klay. You didn’t understand, right? That’s okay because it’s just gibberish we made up.

But get this, your app content reads like this to those who don’t speak the language. If they don’t understand, then you lose them immediately. This is why it’s essential for your users and your business to get your mobile app localized pronto. But how important is it in India?

App localization is simply adapting anything to make it suitable for a user who is from a particular geography or locale.

In India, the biggest differentiating factor between locales is the language. In fact, each state in India was formed on the basis of the language spoken. Currently, the Constitution of India recognizes 22 official languages but our country has 121 different languages (19,500 ‘mother tongues’) which are still in use today.

Of those languages, English occupies only a fraction of an Indian’s daily life.

English, the unpopular popular language

Only 0.02% of people in India consider English as their first language. Around 6.8% of people would call it their second language. In total, only 10% of India’s 1.4 billion people can speak English, as either their second or third language.

This language gap is not lost on companies and app developers. Nor do the stats lie.

90% of internet users in India want to consume online content in their mother tongue. Various platforms in travel, social media, professional networks, etc. are racing to give users the choice to interact with their services in Indian languages.

Take for example LinkedIn, their data revealed that India has 82 million users, a paltry number compared to the 800+ million internet users in India. The problem? A lack of app localization. They recognized that the English-speaking population is significantly lower than that of other languages. Hence, they rolled out a Hindi interface for its users with the hopes of reaching 500 million users. Without app localization, it would’ve been impossible to dream of such numbers.

Looking at the previous data, app localization will do a world of good for your users and your revenue. Here are the benefits of app localization:

1. It builds trust with users

Communication builds trust. And you can only communicate if you speak the language. Translating your app’s content into a language that the user is comfortable with is a building block of trust.

Moreover, you’re easing a pain point that users face when it comes to app usage. 53% of users from non-metro cities prefer to use apps in their own language rather than English. And it’s the non-metro cities where most of the population resides. You’ll only gain the user’s trust if all your offerings within the app are served in a language that is palatable to them.

2. User engagement gets a boost

According to Anand Singh, head of Developer Relations and Localization at Indus OS, Indus App Bazaar was “recording a 5-7% quarterly increase in regional users even before the pandemic hit”. He also added that “regional users were contributing around 30% to the download numbers” of Indus App Bazaar.

“Interestingly, regional users were contributing more in terms of downloads, time spent, etc. Their overall intent is to consume more from our app store”, Anand Singh belatedly added. This ties into the earlier point of trust; give users content in their language and they will engage more.

3. App localization is the way to scale

Last year, the market value for regional content in India was valued at $53 billion. This year, it’s even higher; and next will hold a greater potential value. How do you tap into this gold mine in such a linguistically diverse country like India? You got it, by localizing your app.

To reach the hinterlands of India, you need to speak the language and understand the culture. By doing so, you have an opportunity to reach a growing number of users in the second-largest internet market in the world.

It’s not all doom and gloom, dear app developer. Ever since Indus App Bazaar identified the language gap amongst Indian app users, it has been working on a solution for almost a decade now.

The result is India’s largest regional Android app store that has 200+ million users and counting.

So, how does Indus App Bazaar help? Read on to find out:

1. Full translation into 12 regional languages

Language translation is the backbone of Indus App Bazaar’s app localization services. Currently, we can translate your app’s content into 12 Indian languages which include Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Oriya, Malayalam, Kannada, Urdu, Assamese, Bengali, and Gujarati.

2. Contextual translation

The problem of literal translations and miscommunication is avoided here with our contextual translations. More importantly, we have humans behind all the translation work which means the chances of any misunderstanding with the user are low.

3. Free and full translation services

Not only do offer to fully translate your app content and app listing on Indus App Bazaar, but we also do it completely free of charge. This reduces your burden and allows you as an app developer to focus on improving your product to solve your users’ problems.

App localization is just one of the many free services that we offer. To begin your journey with us, publish your app for free here.

English is no more the lingua franca of the internet. With more regional users diving into the digital world, it’s time to consider what moving away from English as your app’s main language looks like. Especially in India, where we speak so many languages than we care to count.

Now it’s time to consider what your users are likely to be comfortable with, a language that may be their second or third language or a language that is close to their heart?

Get your app localized today to connect with your users and discover more ways to increase your reach and revenue.

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