Japan-based free messaging app Line formally launched in India

Japan based Line Corporation has formally announced the launch of its popular global messenger application in India. Line is a free calling and messaging app and according to the company, the service has over 180 million users across the globe.

Line joins a highly competitive market with competitors like WeChat, WhatsApp, Hike and Facebook Messenger. WeChat is an app by a China-based company called TenCent and this was recently launched in India.

Line works on both smartphones and PCs across multiple carriers and is available on iOS, Android, Nokia Asha, Windows phone, BlackBerry, Windows (for PC) and Macs.

So what’s unique about Line? Its sticker messages, which are basically large-sized character pictures. These stickers are similar to what Facebook Messenger app also offers.

In the Line app, the sticker characters include LINE’s original characters and those from Disney, Hello Kitty and Iron Man.

Elaborating on the India launch, Akira Morikawa, CEO, LINE Corporation, said, “After witnessing solid growth in Asia, Europe and US, making inroad into the Indian market was a part of our overall strategy.”

“With its huge youth population, increasing mobile and internet penetration, lowering bandwidth costs, India makes a hotbed for LINE messenger application which will change the way people communicate in the country,” he said.