Hidden gems: Indian iOS apps making it big on the global stage

Indian-made apps-- SplashLearn and NoteShelf-- have registered millions of installations worldwide.

On May 2, Apple announced financial results of its second quarter. Though it faced sluggish growth in global regions, the company continued its strong double-digit growth streak in India.

Besides, the March quarter record revenue, Apple CEO Tim Cook was more excited about the growing developer community in the subcontinent.

“We're continuing to expand our channels, and also working on the developer ecosystem as well. And we've been very pleased that there is a rapidly growing base of developers there. And so, we're working all of the entire ecosystem from developer to the market to operations, the whole thing. And I just -- I could not be more excited and enthusiastic about it," said Tim Cook.

Compared to other platforms, the Apple App Store is more lucrative for app developers and in particular to budding startups, as they get significant concessions. The latter has to pay 15 per cent commission, 50 per cent less compared to big companies. The savings can be utilised by small firms to expand their business.

And, most customers on Apple ecosystem are ready to pay higher premium for quality service offered on apps, compared to users on Google's Android platform.

Creators with good app ideas and even established players, can apply for mentorship at Apple Developer Center in Bengaluru.

[Note: Developer Center was previously known as App Accelerator. It was first operating in a separate base at Yelahanka. Now, it has been moved to Apple's swanky new office near the iconic Mink Square, at the heart of Bengaluru.]

Since its start in 2017, Developer Center has nurtured hundreds of budding entrepreneurs and talented students in India.

Apple Office at Minsk Square, Bengaluru.

It offers greater access to Apple experts and support to learn about the latest Apple technologies and resources to refine their apps and games in terms of user interface design and, services to improve user experience.

With just a few weeks before the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC, June 10-14), I had the opportunity to meet talented Indian iOS/iPadOS developers, who have honed their skills at Apple Developer Center in Bengaluru.

Couple of apps-- SplashLearn and NoteShelf-- have registered millions of installations worldwide, but many in India not know them.

SplashLearn

SplashLearn is developed by StudyPad. It was founded by four friends -- Arpit Jain (CEO), Umang Jain (CPTO), Mayank Jain (CMO) and Joy Deep Nath (CXO), who graduated from IIT-Kharagpur in 2008.

Soon after graduation, they decided to set up the education-related start-up Intinno Technologies, which offered mobile and web-based solutions to educational institutions. In 2010, the co-founders were pretty impressed by the first generation iPad and thought of developing an application.

'We thought the iPad was a great device for learning and has a perfect form factor for kids to carry around. That's when we decided to shift our focus to the US and started a new venture StudyPad Pvt Ltd and launched SplashLearn," said Mayank Jain to DH.

"We did our research on issues faced by teachers, parents and children in terms of teaching and learning. We spoke to several teachers and the most common issue was that it is hard to make all children under the concepts. Every child's understanding level is different. Some picked the subjects pretty well, while others faced issues of understanding the concepts," Jain noted.

Mayank Jain (CMO) of StudyPad, makers of SplashLearn app.

Here's where SplashLearn comes into play. It is an intuitive iPad application for children and teachers. It offers gamified educational content for children aged 2-12 (Pre-kindergarten to Grade 5). Also, it is continuously assessing the understanding level of the kids and the information is shared with teachers and parents. The programme will offer data on which kids are progressing well and who need a little more training to make them understand concepts taught in school.

Currently, it is offering content for Maths and English learning. Since its start in 2011, it has grown big, particularly in the US. Now, Splash Learn is used by one in three schools in the US. It is also available for parents for a subscription.

In the last 12 months, SplashLearn, touted to be the world's first gamified education platform has onboarded 70 lakh users. So far, five crore plus learners have used the app to date.

SplashLearn app on Apple App Store (screen-grab).

Mayank appreciated the help offered by Apple experts in refining the app's user interface, and whether the content offered on app are appropriate for kids or not. With different countries having their own law on what can be appropriate for kids, this feedback can help in creating safe content for children and avoid legal issues.

StudyPad is expanding its operation in the UK, Canada, Australia and other Western countries. It has monthly plans ranging from $8 to $12 and $60-$90 annual plans.

Mayank noted that the company has plans to launch SplashLearn in India in collaboration with educational institutions by the end of 2025.

Noteshelf 3: Digital Notes (by Fluid Touch Pte. Ltd.)

Origin

NoteShelf app development started as a hobby for Rama Krishna while working in a private firm in Japan in 2009. Within two years, the app grew in popularity. Later, Krishna quit his job and shifted to Singapore and operated the company Fluid Touch Pte. Ltd for four years.

In 2016, Krishna permanently moved the company's base to Hyderabad. Recently, the 35-member team leased a new 10,000 sq. ft office space in the heart of the city.

NoteShelf looks like any other note-taking app, but once you start using it, there is going back. It has all the note-taking features, record audio, scan documents, option to convert handwriting to typed format and vice-versa. But, what makes NoteShelf stand out is its generative Artificial Intelligence (gen AI) capabilities.

It offers separate tab with the subject slot. Users can type in or write a topic, and it will generate data. If the information is too big, He/she can tell the app to offer the information in summaries or pointers and it will neatly display them for easy understanding.

And, it is also capable of translating information into several international (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese) and Indian languages.

Another notable aspect of NoteShelf is that it can recognise even the shabby handwriting and beautify it to make it more visually appealing, and most importantly readable. Also, it has 200-plus templates for bullet journaling, lesson plans, health tracking, student notes, and more.

Krishna said the app will get a new AI-generated template feature for e-note/e-book cover. He also has a plan to introduce an audio transcribing option soon. And, the 35-member team is also building a dedicated app for Apple Vision Pro.

Once in a while, several team members travel to the Apple Developer Center to train on new tools and get mentorship from industry experts to improve their applications.

Meditate (RhythmicWorks)

Developed by Mithil Jadav, the Meditate app is steadily growing in popularity worldwide.

Mithil Jadav, developer of Meditate app.

It's been more than three years since the Covid pandemic devasted the world and many are still struggling to balance work and personal life. One of the best ways to improve our mental wellness is meditation. But, it needs motivation to keep doing it every day.

Meditate app.

Here's where the Meditate app helps people develop a meditation routine without any form of nagging. The app has beautiful mandala artwork. The longer you meditate, the more circular petals blossom to form a big gorgeous and vibrant pattern it becomes. If you have a set seven-day plan, the mandala opens steadily and fully unfurls on the final day.

But, if you break the streak, the mandala closes and you have to start all over again to reach the target on the seventh day.

Groodles - Art Therapy App ( By Omoi Studio)

Like the Meditate app, Groodles is a mental wellness app with a twist.

Launched in 2023, Groodles is the world's first art therapy app. It offers guided art-based exercises to get a better understanding of yourself. It helps users develop the habit of journaling in the morning to bedtime.

It also has holistic themes that can help users introspect on all aspects of their life. There is also a series on themes such as anxiety and body positivity.

Aditya Ganguly founder of Omoi Studio, and creator of Groodles app.

"Art therapy app is a science-based construct. We use a form of it called ‘non-clinical art therapy’ to ensure it’s accessible in a self-guided way. Any good therapeutic/mental wellbeing engagement should provide two things 1) a safe space to express yourself 2) nudges that put you on the right track about your struggles. Groodles is based on the above two principles. It does that by letting people express themselves through art (fun, no stigma attached) and provides introspection exercises and suggestions along the way to drive a real change in their behaviour," says Aditya Ganguly founder of Omoi Studio.

Groodles is fast growing in popularity around the world. In January this year, it was AppAdvice's top app of the month. It can subscribed annually for Rs 3000 in India and $29.99 (globally).

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