Tinder-rival Bumble to officially launch in India later this year

Dating and social media app Bumble is said to officially launch in India later this year. The official Bumble application is already available for Android and iOS users in India.

The company has roped in actress Priyanka Chopra for the India launch. Priyanka Chopra, who is also investing in Bumble, had worked with the company for the launch of Bumble Bizz, the company's social network for professionals.

"It's rare to see a brand with this level of reach and relevance maintain a commitment to their values and mission in a manner that has global impact," Priyanka Chopra said in a statement to TechCrunch.

"I've always believed that investing in women is key to social transformation and economic growth, and in working with Whitney and her team over the past year, I'm inspired by the real, positive change Bumble is creating and I'm proud to have the opportunity to contribute to this movement as a partner," she added.

As part of its expansion plans, Bumble will be introducing new features to the application. Currently, the iOS version allows users to use limited features like dating, making friends and networking.

Like Tinder, Bumble requires your Facebook profile and phone number for registering on the app. Its women-first feature gives women 24 hours to message their match. Once the time limit is over, the match will expire. Men have the option to extend the time-limit. Bumble also has a photo verification process which lets users get a blue tick on their profiles for authenticity.

The updated Bumble app for India will also have new safety features for women. Bumble Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd told CNN that the application will need women to just provide the first initial of their name. Women will also be able to report "bad behaviour."

Bumble will be competing with Tinder which has been the top dating application in India. According to an App Annie data, Tinder is also among the top grossing Android applications.

Tinder recently launched a new women-centric feature. Called 'My Move', this feature lets women be the first one to send a message to their matches on Tinder. Interestingly, this is Bumble's key feature which is set by default on the app. Bumble and Tinder are also locking horns for patent infringement and trade secrets, TechCrunch reported.