Line Messenger App Hits 10 Million Users, Ropes In Katrina Kaif As Brand Ambassador

Japanese messaging application Line said it has reached the ten million user mark in India. It has also added that by focusing on advertising and localizing content, it plans to go beyond the twenty million mark by the year. The company has also roped in Katrina Kaif as its brand ambassador, hoping that the starlet will be able to further enhance its appeal to Indian youth.

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"Since its India launch, LINE has witnessed a 3,200% voice calling growth, an 1,800% usage increase due to stickers and 700% growth on account of messages," said Akira Morikawa, CEO of LINE Corporation.

India, which zoomed past Japan to become the third-largest smartphone market, has seen a massive growth in handset sales over the last year, making it an attractive market for app makers. The Indian messenger app platform has now become a crowded space with players like WhatsApp, WeChat and BBM for Android and iOS fighting for dominance.

"We haven't experienced such rapid growth in any other country to date," Morikawa, said, according to ET. He also added that Line had 260 million users globally but was unable to say what portion of those users were active. In comparison, WhatsApp messenger has about 250 million users worldwide.

Line will be using Bolloywood to appeal to its Indian audiences. Apart from having made Katrika the company's Indian brand ambassador, it will also have stickers and the official accounts of movies like 'Phata Poster Nikla Hero' and 'Besharam'.

Talking about the apps revenue mode, Line brings in pad stickers, content hat includes videos, games, e-books and music and even official accounts of companies, which need to pay a fee to be on Line unlike free user accounts. The company has also tied up with Sony India and will see its app pre-installed in Sony Xperia Z1 and Xperia C phones.