When a Calicut-based retail chain asked DBes Techno to build them a mobile experience, the choice wasn't straightforward: native iOS and Android app, or a Progressive Web App? After evaluating their audience data — 78% Android, average device age 3+ years, 4G data — the answer was clear: PWA.
What Is a Progressive Web App?
A PWA is a website built with modern web technologies that behaves like a native mobile application. Users can install it to their home screen, receive push notifications, access it offline, and experience near-native performance — all without downloading anything from the Play Store or App Store.
Why PWAs Are Winning in India
Cost
Building and maintaining a native iOS + Android application typically costs 3–5x more than a PWA. For Indian SMEs with realistic marketing budgets, a high-quality PWA delivers 80% of the native experience at 30% of the cost.
Discovery
PWAs are indexed by search engines. When a user in Kannur searches "fresh fish delivery near me," a PWA can appear in organic search results. A native app cannot. This is a massive advantage for Indian local businesses.
Device Compatibility
India has one of the most fragmented device ecosystems in the world. PWAs work across all modern browsers on all devices, eliminating the compatibility headaches that plague native app development for low-end Android devices common across India.
No App Store Friction
App Store and Play Store submission processes add weeks of delay and ongoing 30% revenue cuts. PWAs bypass both entirely.
When Native Apps Still Win
Native apps remain the better choice when deep hardware integration is required — such as AR/VR features, real-time Bluetooth, sophisticated camera processing, or advanced biometric authentication. For these use cases, DBes Techno builds React Native or Flutter apps that target both platforms from a single codebase.
DBes Techno's PWA Development Service
Our PWA development team in Kerala has built progressive web apps for retail chains, healthcare portals, logistics dashboards, and food delivery services. We handle end-to-end PWA design, development, testing, and maintenance — ensuring your PWA is fast, accessible, and ranked on Google.
Explore our PWA development services or contact us for a free consultation.
