Indian Government to Release Replacement for WhatsApp Soon; Brief Report

The Government of India is in the process of developing its own instant messaging services to replace 'WhatsApp'. Reportedly the pilot for the new instant messaging services is being conducted by the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY). The application will be named after Government Instant Messaging Service (GIMS). The application is likely to be rolled out this year.

Though the application is designed primarily for the use of the Central Government, the state governments can also make use of it. GIMS will be using the messaging platform created by National Informatics Centre (NIC) which handles 2 crore E-mails daily. The GIMS platform will be available in Multilingual platform with 11 local languages. Sources say the application will be rolled out in English and Hindi initially in both iOS and Android platforms.

“Today, almost every ministry has its own chat group on commercial platforms like WhatsApp, WeChat, etc. Often officials discuss strategic and sensitive issues on these platforms. With cybercriminals or rogue states targeting such communication, it is high time India has its own government instant messaging service. Such services are crucial today for effective and efficient administration,” one of the higher officials was quoted by FE.