Promoted amid the Facebook data leaks, Kimbho was promoted as a safe alternative for Indian users’ personal data.
New Delhi: After launching twice but failing miserably, Baba Ramdev’s flagship company Patanjali has shelved plans to launch the ‘swadeshi’ chatting platform, Kimbho.
After parting ways with Aditi Kamal, the techie who was the brain behind Patanjali’s idea of launching the messaging platform, the company tied up with Noida-based app making firm Social Revolution Media and Research Pvt. Ltd.
However, both launches of the application — in May and August — failed to impress the security experts.
“We wanted to launch a technically sound application which could promise water-tight security and privacy. However, we are not satisfied with the work done. We have put the idea on the backburner as we don’t want to launch half-baked products,” Acharya Bal Krishna, CEO and MD of Patanjali Ayurved told ThePrint.
“Currently, we are very occupied with the new projects in hand and I don’t think that we have time and resources to put further in Kimbho. As of now, I would say that we have kept it aside with no more dates scheduled for its re-launch,” he added.
Also read: Brain behind Baba Ramdev’s Kimbho quits to launch her own messenger app
The two unsuccessful launches
Pitted against American company WhatsApp, Kimbho — which means how are you or what’s up in Sanskrit — was launched on 30 May but was hastily taken down from Google Play Store due to poor security.
A refurbished trial version of the app claiming to include “end-to-end encryption” was re-launched on 15 August before its official launch on 27 August. Several users reported issues, including problems in setting up profile pictures, and complained about the poor user interface.
The app then missed its official launch as its trial version was taken down from Google Play Store due to security concerns and performance issues.
“We appreciate your excitement over the official launch of Kimbho app. We inform you that trials, review, and upgradation is in process to make Kimbho most safe, convenient and secure Swadeshi app of your first choice,” Balkrishna tweeted in August, adding that “the new date for the launch would be announced soon”.
Also read: Baba Ramdev and aide bring in cyber experts to plug Kimbho holes
Why Kimbho?
Promoted amid the data leaks at WhatsApp’s parent company Facebook, Kimbho was promoted as a safe alternative for Indians which will not save users’ personal data.
“We are aware of the data leaks at Facebook. Data from our country has fuelled their economy and has been misused without our permission. To ensure the privacy of Indian consumers, we are launching swadeshi alternative of WhatsApp,” Balkrishna told ThePrint earlier. “Our app, Kimbho, saves no data of the users on our servers or on cloud.”
However, according to reports, the privacy policy of the app’s trial version states that the company will not sell or share personal information of users (such as the mobile phone number) with other third-party companies for their commercial or marketing use. It also added that it may share your personal information with third-party service providers “to the extent that it is reasonably necessary to perform, improve, or maintain Kimbho Service”.
The photo at the top of this article is repulsive. Controlled lighting and stuff like that. I don’t know why this gentleman who does some circus tricks with his stomach is idolized like a maharishi or something — a “superior soul”!! He is out and out a businessman.