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The Hindu

National

Aroon Deep

WhatsApp Channels | Indian leaders wield new digital megaphone

WhatsApp WhatsApp Channels India Narendra Modi Amit Shah Facebook Meta Rahul Gandhi Rajeev Chandrasekhar Instagram

Political leaders are quietly establishing a base on WhatsApp Channels, a one-way broadcasting medium launched here in September by the messaging platform. Soon after the launch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official account appeared, and has so far garnered almost 9 million followers.

The feature is among the most direct means of communication for political leaders, at least to voters who have smartphones, a number that is rapidly expanding. Deloitte has estimated that India will have one billion smartphone users by 2026; most of these phones are likely to have WhatsApp installed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s WhatsApp channel.

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