Koo, a microblogging platform that was launched in March last year, is another new entry in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission. The platform, which is an alternative to Twitter, offers a similar experience like the latter but in the Indian vernacular along with the English language. The platform is also the winner of the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat app challenge from 2020.  


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A user can be part of the platform by downloading the Koo app itself on either iOS and Android device, or they can simply visit the webpage. 



What is Koo?


Koo is a microblogging platform that enables it users to express their opinion on any given subject. The app was developed by Aprameya Radhakrishna, who is the co-founder and CEO. The platform won the The Digital India Aatmanirbhar Bharat Innovate Challenge in March last year, an initiative that rewards the best Indian apps which has the potential to develop into a world class apps.    


Why is Koo in news?


Despite being acknowledged by the government as one of the potential game changer in the Digital India campaign, Koo began to fade away until recently when Union Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted about him joining the platform. Along with Goyal, union minister Ram Shankar Prasad, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa are among the other top dignitaries to join the platform.  


The development comes after the ongoing disagreement between the Indian government and Twitter over the blocking and unblocking of accounts linked to the ongoing farmer protests in New Delhi. 


Government ministries and departments such as the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC), National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), India Post, MyGovIndia, Digital India, and National Informatics Centre (NIC), among others, are also on the platform.   


How do I download Koo?


Koo is available for both Android and iOS devices. The app is named “Koo: Connect with Indians in Indian Languages” on Google PlayStore, while it is named as "Koo" on the App Store. An user can also visit the website and click on the Google Play or App Store download options to be redirected to a download link.  


What are Koo's features?


The features provided by Koo are quite similar to Twitter and allows its users to follow individuals and browse through a feed. The users can also share their opinion in Indian languages such as Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Tamil, and English, and as per reports the platforms are also coming with other languages soon. 


Unlike Twitter's 280 character limit, Koo provides its users to sum up their message in 400 characters. There are also language communities that provide content in a particular language.