Messaging application WhatsApp has named Abhijit Bose as its India Head, meeting one of the key demands made by the Indian government.
Bose, who is the former CEO and co-founder of online payments platform Ezetap, which was founded in 2011, will join the messaging platform early next year and will build WhatsApp's first full country team outside of California.
The company’s setup will based in Gurugram, the company has said in a statement.
Bose and his team will focus on helping businesses, both large and small, connect with their customers. WhatsApp before this did not have an operational setup in the country and this move surely will clear the air as to who is now responsible and answerable for grievances related to the app in India.
Bose was co-founder and CEO of Ezetap. Here’s an old video of his.
“WhatsApp is deeply committed to India and we are excited to keep building products that help people connect and support India’s fast-growing digital economy,” Matt Idema, Chief Operating Officer of WhatsApp, said.
The appointment comes at a time when the Facebook-owned company has been under tremendous pressure to put in place a mechanism to curb fake messages on its platform, that incited mob fury.
The government has been pressing WhatsApp to develop tools to combat fake or false messages, and also identify message originators.
Apart from the traceability request, the government had asked WhatsApp to set up a local corporate presence and appoint a grievance officer to address complaints.
Whatsapp had recently appointed Komal Lahiri as a grievance officer for India.
Following multiple incidents of mob-lynching across the country, the government had slapped WhatsApp with two notices, with the second one warning that it will treat the messaging platform as an abettor of rumour propagation and legal consequences will follow if adequate checks are not put in place.
— with inputs from PTI
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