This local smartphone platform is more popular than Apple iOS in India (AAPL)

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The broad range of localized languages in India is creating big opportunities for smaller smartphone platforms, according to Bloomberg.

Indus OS, an Indian operating system (OS) based on Android, managed to overtake iOS as the second-largest smartphone OS in India at the end of 2015, coming in behind Android. Since then, it has not only held the position, but it's also increased its lead over iOS. Indus OS now controls 6.3% of the Indian smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research.

Indus OS managed to make a splash when it partnered with domestic phone maker Micromax in Q2 2015. Micromax is the second most shipped device in India, behind Samsung. In Q1 2016, the company accounted for 17% of total smartphone shipments in the country, Counterpoint Research notes.

The success of Indus OS versus a much larger company like Apple is indicative of the power of localization in non-Western markets. This is because local companies are more aware of the trends and demands that their consumers want. The slow adoption of localization on behalf of Apple is likely a key driver in its loss of market share to Indus OS.

Smaller localized platforms like Indus OS also threaten the status quo of Android and Apple in emerging markets, because they are often more attractive to developers, carriers, and manufacturers:

• Manufacturers are given more freedom. When building for Android, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are forced to preload certain Google suite apps on the devices in order to gain access to the Google Play app store. These added apps can drain batteries and conflict with proprietary apps that OEMs have loaded on the devices.
• Developers get greater access to local markets. Indus OS supports at least 12 major Indian languages and English. That's important for developers because it means the software is developing and pivoting according to local market demand, which, in turn, leads to a greater pool of potential users.
• Wireless operators are more likely to promote Indus OS devices. Carrier billing allows users to pay for app downloads and in-app purchases via their network operator, which then seemingly takes a cut. Thus, it's in carriers’ best interest to promote phones that will charge users through their payment systems. This incentivizes operators to promote Indus OS devices.

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