Emerging markets on Facebook's mind

Facebook has been in the news lately for its efforts to make Messenger more inclusive for those with limited access to the internet. (Did someone say Free Basics?)

The team is set to launch Messenger Lite, a 'slimmed down' or 'stripped down' version of its Messenger feature, designed for Android devices in places known for poor connectivity.

Though targeted primarily at the world's emerging markets, that struggle with low-bandwidth internet connections, the offering does have usage implications for developed markets as well. That's because it is also ideal for people stuck with old devices.

Says Facebook in a recent post on its newsroom page (October 2, 2016): "Messenger Lite is under 10MB, so it’s fast to install and quick to start up. It includes Messenger’s core experiences such as messaging, sending and receiving photos and links, and receiving stickers. Messenger Lite uses the same bolt logo as Messenger, but with colors reversed. The bolt is blue with a white chat bubble background."

The initial roll-out of Messenger Lite will take place across Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela, soon.

Subsequently, it will be launched in another markets as well.

Is India on the list?

Source : http://time.com/4513511/facebooks-messenger-lite-app-2016/