BANGALORE, India, Dec. 3 – Koo, the Indian social media platform once touted as the country’s answer to Twitter, has announced its shutdown, signaling the end of a bold experiment in regional language expression and homegrown tech innovation. Co-founded in 2020 by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, Koo aimed to provide a space for users to communicate in over a dozen Indian languages, addressing a gap in the social media ecosystem for vernacular content.
The app garnered significant attention during its early years, especially amid debates about digital sovereignty and localized alternatives to global platforms like Twitter. However, despite its initial success and government endorsements, Koo faced steep challenges in scaling its user base and maintaining financial viability in a crowded and competitive market.
The Genesis of Koo
The story of Koo began during a pivotal moment when global tech platforms faced scrutiny in India. The app quickly gained traction, offering a user-friendly interface that allowed users to engage in regional languages, which comprised over 20% of its active content. By positioning itself as a culturally rooted alternative, Koo attracted millions of users, including several high-profile Indian public figures and government officials.
Despite its ambitious vision, Koo struggled to retain momentum amid resource constraints and increasing competition. The rise of Threads, Mastodon, and other platforms siphoned potential users, while advertising revenue failed to match the demands of its growing operations.
A Personal Connection: A Story of Support
Prashant Sachan, a fellow entrepreneur and co-founder of a startup in the travel sector, shared his reflections on Koo's shutdown and his personal bond with Radhakrishna. In 2016, Sachan was on the brink of closing his venture when Radhakrishna, known for his appetite for taking risks as an angel investor, stepped in to lead Sachan’s first funding round.
“Twenty-five to thirty minutes into our pitch, he said he would invest. In my mind, I was amazed—this was not how things usually worked,” Sachan recalled. Radhakrishna's decision to support Sachan’s team led to an angel round of ₹1.7 crore ($230,000) from 25 individual investors, giving the fledgling company a lifeline.
Sachan’s tribute underscored the ethos behind Koo: a belief in taking risks and building ambitious solutions to complex problems. While Koo's journey as a platform has ended, Sachan highlighted the lessons it offered for India’s startup ecosystem.
Challenges in a Crowded Market
Koo’s decline highlights the stark realities of scaling a social media platform. Creating a robust user base that engages consistently is challenging, and monetizing that engagement is even more difficult. Despite the backing of prominent investors and strategic partnerships, Koo struggled to break out of its niche as an alternative platform, failing to attract the global or mainstream Indian audience needed for sustainability.
Operational challenges also mounted as the app attempted to compete with well-established players that dominated both user engagement and advertising budgets. Even with strong initial growth, the platform found it hard to retain users amid ever-shifting digital habits.
A Legacy of Innovation
Though Koo's doors have closed, its impact on India's digital landscape is far-reaching. The app showcased the potential of vernacular-first platforms and highlighted the opportunities—and hurdles—of building India-centric tech solutions.
Sachan’s tribute to Radhakrishna emphasized the importance of celebrating bold attempts, regardless of their outcomes. “We should celebrate the ambitious and audacious attempt that [Aprameya Radhakrishna], [Mayank Bidawatka], and the team made to create our very own answer for Twitter,” Sachan wrote.
As India continues to emerge as a global technology hub, the story of Koo serves as both a cautionary tale and a source of inspiration. Its journey underscores the importance of resilience, innovation, and community in shaping the future of tech entrepreneurship.
The shutdown of Koo marks the end of a chapter in Indian tech history but leaves behind a narrative of determination and bold risk-taking for the next generation of innovators to emulate.