Koo: A Fully Aatmanirbhar App with Indian Founders
18 February 2021 3dmOwing to the recent political developments, India now strives to be an independent economic powerhouse. This has led to the evolution of Indian-based industries including the development of newer technological options. The latest product of this revolution is the Aatmanirbhar App called Koo. The app is a new venture of digital India by Indian techies that is backed by Indian investors and Indian founders.
Koo app came as an alternative to Twitter as the ongoing rift between the social application and the Government continues to grow.
Why is everyone talking about the Koo app?
The microblogging app came under the eyes of many ever since the controversial ban of several Twitter accounts took place as a means to control the misinformation regarding the government and farmers’ protest. The Koo app was introduced as an ‘Indian’ alternative to the American social media app. The co-founder of Koo app Aprameya Radhakrishna also stated that Koo is 100% authentic and is an Indian registered microblogging application.
The major argument put forth in the Koo vs Twitter debate is that Koo has been founded and funded by Indian industries such as Bombinate Technologies. This further supports the Aatmanirbhar Bharat motive that was popularized by the Prime Minister of India in 2020. Although the Twitter alternative app had a Chinese investor (Shunwei) during its early years, the Koo app co-founder Aprameya Radhakrishna stated that currently the app is built on Indian roots.
Koo Vs Twitter: A never ending debate?
Twitter has received some backlash during the recent protests in India for the spread of false information as a means to instigate communities. The Electronics and Information Technology Minister of India, Ravi Shankar Prasad addressed the issue in Parliament and raised concern over the microblogging app along with other social media applications like YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and their role in the fortification of political propaganda and misinformation. The Central Government has also revolted against Twitter as a means to comprehend the freedom of speech of the Indian citizens.
In the wake of such controversies, Koo app comes as an innovation offering a solution for this problem. Koo, with its Indian foundations and a growing pool of Indian investors, shows immense potential as an alternative app to twitter.
Also read: Twitter Alternative App
The past, present and everything in between for Koo
The big boom in Koo came after Bombinate Technologies Pvt. Ltd., made an astonishing investment of $4.1 million in the microblogging app. This investment has also made Bombinate Technologies one of the parent companies for the app. It has also been cleared by Aprameya that Shunwei did not invest in the most recent funding for Koo India, making it an Aatmanirbhar app.
As foreign investors have exited from the app, numerous Indian investors have since poured in to show support for the made-in-India twitter alternative app Koo. These investors include BookMyShow’s Co-founder Ashish Hemrajani, Bounce’s CEO Vivekananda HR and Zerodha’s Founder and CEO, Nikhil Kamath. The addition of such impressive Indian Entrepreneurs is expected to boost the growth of the Koo app. This in combination with the partnership of 3one4 Capital seems to make the future of the app shine bright.
The app has shown an upwards trajectory and in the recent time. The Koo app download number has reached an estimated 1 million on the platform of Google Play store and out of this around 95% are mobile users. For an Indian-based app to achieve such numbers within a limited period is a good reflection on the Digital India movement and its growth. It goes on to show that India is paving its way to becoming a self-sustained and technologically advanced economy.
Koo app has been flourished by a variety of Indian Political Leaders and Ministers from Central Government. Amidst the recent divide between Centre and Twitter, several verified accounts have been registered with Koo India and have released statements officially regarding the shift of accounts from Twitter to Indian app Koo. These statements have been considered as a response to Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey’s blog post addressing the blocking and ban of 1178 accounts in light to prevent the misinformation.
As the issues of various social media apps including Twitter rise to an alarming concern, the Koo app seems to be a profitable choice because it promotes the Make in India campaign and promotes Indian mobile applications. The app has also been credited the second spot in Aatmanirbhar app challenge by the government. Koo has also been bestowed with the title of Best Essential Daily App of 2020 by Google Play Store. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed the achievements of Koo India under his Mann ki Baat.
With a growing following and user count, Koo is expected to grow in the coming years. One can download the Koo app through Google Play Store and hop on board to support the Make in India movement.
