iWorld
India’s Koo eyes expansion in Nigeria after the country bans Twitter
KOLKATA:Twitter’s Indian substitute social media platform Koo is expanding its operations in Nigeria by adding local languages, besides leveraging the ‘talk to type’ feature on its application. The move comes after the microblogging site Twitter was banned in the African country.
“Now the platform is available in Nigeria. We’re thinking of enabling the local languages there too. What say?,” co-founder and CEO Aprameya Radhakrishna asked Saturday.
The federal government of Nigeria suspended the operations of Twitter indefinitely in the country on 4 June. Notably, the ban was announced two days after the microblogging site deleted an “abusive” tweet made by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, and suspended his account for 12 hours.
As per a PTI report, Koo’s Radhakrishna said the platform is keen on making inroads into the Nigerian market. Now, the country has an opportunity for microblogging sites, he added. Koo will abide by the local laws of each country that it operates in, he mentioned.
Koo was founded in March 2020 as a micro-blogging platform in Indian languages. It also rolled out the ‘talk to type’ feature in March, so anyperson may share their thoughts easily with minimal keyboard interface, in a targeted drive to tap regional markets.
The platform started getting attention at the beginning of this year amid the Twitter-Indian government standoff.
Endorsed by government officials, Koo has verified handles of MeitY, MyGov, Digital India, India Post, National Informatics Centre (NIC), National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Common Services Center, UMANG app, Digi Locker, National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to name a few.
Twitter has been constantly in conflict with the Indian government especially now, over the compliance of the new IT rules. The government on Saturday issued ‘one last notice’ to Twitter Inc asking it to immediately comply with the new IT rules, failing which it could face stern action and lose exemption from liability under section 79 of the IT Act, 2000.
It is will be interesting for not only Nigerian but also Indian social media users to see how Koo fares, as a replacement brand for the banned Twitter in Nigeria.
In similar fashion, when TikTok, the Chinese application was banned in India, another Indian application Chingari was able to leverage itself with some level of success in India. Even Chingari enjoyed apparent Indian government approval.
If Koo succeeds in Nigeria, it will bolster its confidence to compete with Twitter in India with renewed vigor. And in the eventuality of an Indian ban on Twitter over the current noncompliance of the new IT rules, even seek to become the preferred alternative choice over Indian social media.
As per reports, Koo has already complied with the new rules and shared the necessary information with the government.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
