WhatsApp appoints Ezetap's founder Abhijit Bose as first India head; 5 things to know

Instant messaging application WhatsApp on Wednesday announced that it has appointed Abhijit Bose as the head of operations in India.

Bose’s appointment is the first time WhatsApp has created a country head role anywhere in the world. (Image: Abhijit Bose/ LinkedIn)

New Delhi: Instant messaging application WhatsApp on Wednesday announced that it has appointed Abhijit Bose as the head of operations in India. Bose is the co-founder and chief executive of a mobile payment solutions firm Ezetap and will take charge of the messaging app early next year. Bose’s appointment is the first time WhatsApp has created a country head role anywhere in the world, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. His appointment comes as the Facebook-owned entity aims to put a check on the spread of misinformation on its service in India where the app is used by more than 200 million customers. India is reportedly WhatsApp's biggest market by size. The step is also said to be the first step to meet the demand of Central government to curb the spread of fake news through its platform. “As a successful entrepreneur himself, Abhijit knows what it takes to build meaningful partnerships that can serve businesses across India,” news agency Reuters quoted WhatsApp Chief Operating Officer Matt Idema as saying. Here is all you need to know about Abhijit Bose and his appointment as the new BOSS of Whatsapp India: i. Completed his high education from Harvard Business School and Cornell University, Bose is the first India head ever appointed by Whatsapp since its inception. Also, India is the first country where the messaging app has designated a country head. ii. Bose's appointment comes months after WhatsApp stepped into the fake news and misinformation controversy. Reportedly, this misinformation contributed directly or indirectly to incidents of lynching that have resulted in people losing their lives over the past. iii. “WhatsApp is special and can be a major partner for financial inclusion and economic growth in India. It's not only how so many families stay in touch, but increasingly it’s how businesses are engaging with their customers. WhatsApp can positively impact the lives of hundreds of millions of Indians, allowing them to actively engage and benefit from the new digital economy,” Bose said after his appointment as Whatsapp India head. iv. According to his LinkedIn profile, Bose has over 17 years of experience in segments such as product management, product marketing, and business development with expertise in software and mobile markets. v. Before co-founding Ezetap in 2011, Bose was the product head of business and financial software firm Intuit. Ezetap was also crowned as a Top 50 Disruptor in 2018 by CNBC for disrupting the digital payments horizon in India.