India launches pilot e-gov mobile app store
India's e-government appstore, according to its Web site, will serve as a national level common repository of customizable and configurable applications that can be re-used by various government agencies and departments across the country.
Its objectives are to speed up the development and deployment of e-government applications, easily replicate successful applications across different states, avoid duplication of effort and cost in development of similar application, and ensure availability of certified applications following common standards at one place.
Compared to other Indian government Web sites, this has a fresh, modern, streamlined look, moving away from the traditional templates and theme used in other sites. A brief overview shows items such as applications, components, and Web services. Furthermore, mobile apps can also be located via an internal search engine, in addition to other filtering criteria such as application type, application category, and state or department.
Personally, I think this is another great initative by the government. In the past few years, they have taken the lead in connecting the country with tools and resources that can be both shared by all. This is also a great medium for all the mobile app developers in India who want to showcase their mobile apps, themed around the different levels and states within India.
According to the Web site, core and common applications that have high demand and are replicable across the central and state levels are the likely candidates for the e-government appstore, which shall be hosted on the National Cloud.
However, no information is provided as to whether developers will be paid in terms of revenue sharing of any kind. That being said, I'm sure there are plenty of young, amateur developers will still want to use this platform to jump on board and have their apps showcased on this high level portal.
The Web site further states that the e-government appstore will be implemented in a phased manner over a period of time. Presently, the appstore is primarily a repository showcasing NIC applications and components which were developed for specific requirement of States.