Who Is Behind the Koo App, the Indian Alternative to Twitter?
15 February 2021 3dmAmidst the recent protests in India organized by farmers, the microblogging app Twitter has come under the radar of the Central Government where numerous accounts on the platform were suspended and some even banned in an effort to reduce the spread of misleading information. This further led to Twitter facing backlash over controlling the freedom of speech of the citizens of the nation. The growing controversy has shed light on a new application by the name ‘Koo’. The Aatmanirbhar app has come forward as an alternative to the American app.
The curious case of Koo:
The Koo app was introduced during the early stretch of 2020 as a microblogging site that can be used by android as well as iOS users. The people behind the development of Koo are the twin forces comprising Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidwatka.
Know the people behind the Twitter alternative of India:
Aprameya Radhakrishna holds a significant experience when it comes to the art of application and digital technology. The co-creator of Koo has previously been the owner of ventures like TaxiForSure that have been path-breaking as online taxi booking services. Heading his new venture Koo India, Aprameya has stated that the app has been designed keeping in mind the Indian users with a multilingual option.
Koo India is headed by the well-known technology company Bombinate Technologies Pvt. Ltd., as its authorizing body. The company has been known to fund the coveted Vokal app which was a question-and-answer application similar to Quora. The app was launched in 2018 with names like Accel Partners, Kalaari Capital and Blume Ventures as the investors. Recently, the technological giant has been joined by new investors like Mohandas Pai who is the owner of 3one4 Capital and a former Infosys CFO.
The co-founders of the app also announced that Bombinate Technologies is ready to invest as much as 4.1 million dollars in the Koo app.
Koo India and its claim to fame
So, how did Koo come to being the Indian alternative of Twitter?
The key factor contributing to the success of Koo recently is the squabble between the Central Government and Twitter. In a row of the Farmer’s protest that began during late 2020, Twitter became a hot-spot of debate and quarrel between oppositions. The app also came under fire regarding its role in provoking false sentiments among citizens and the misuse of freedom of speech to preach specific propaganda.
In the light of these events, the Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey also issued a blog on the company’s behalf that further complicated the issue with the Central Government. Following this, Koo India was introduced by the creators as a Twitter alternative app that was completely Indian.
Koo was also published during the Aatmanirbhar App Innovation Challenge where the microblogging app secured 2nd position in the year 2020. This put Koo app on the national radar and was further discussed by the Honorable Prime Minister under his Man ki Baat address to the nation. The application was viewed as a genuine alternative to American and Chinese apps and promoted the Make in India movement.
What’s the current position of Koo?
Following the growing popularity of the app under Aatmanirbhar Bharat, several government ministers have opened accounts on the platform which has further pushed the people of the country to shift from Twitter to Koo.
The most prominent names that have announced their entry over the platform include:
- Piyush Goyal, Commerce Minister
- Ravi Shankar Prasad, Law and IT Minister
- Tejasvi Surya, MP
- Shobha Karandlaje, MP
- BS Yediyurappa, the CM of Karnataka
- Jaggi Vasudeva, Isha Foundation
- Javagal Srinath, Former Indian Cricketers
- Anil Kumble
Apart from these, there are several departments from the Government of India that have joined Koo including India Post, Niti Ayog as well as Union IT Ministry. As the awareness around the app continues to spread, the number of politicians, celebrities and ministers has also been growing on Koo. These ministers have further announced their support to Koo India for being the first India-based microblogging app that shall boost the digital India campaign.
The influence of such prominent political leaders through joining the platform is crucial in a time where the biggest app in the World is facing difficulties in navigating the demands of the Central Government. Twitter also faced a notice warning of a penalty action if the app fails to abide by the Indian Government guidelines. Meanwhile, the Koo app download on Google Play Store has amassed a following of 1 million and counting.
It is difficult to tell as of now where the political divide between Twitter and The Government will head but the Koo app seems to be benefiting off of it. One can download the Koo app from Google Play Store and gain more insight into the complete experience of the Indian Twitter alternative.
