Bharti Softbank's messaging app 'Hike' crosses 20 mn users

Bharti SoftBank's free instant messaging application 'Hike' has crossed 20 million users mark, with 5 million added during the last three months.

Bharti SoftBank's free instant messaging application 'Hike' has crossed 20 million users mark, with 5 million added during the last three months.

Bharti SoftBank (BSB) is a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and Japan-based mobile communication and broadband services firm Softbank.

The application, which was launched globally in December 2012, has 90 % of users from India and over 80 % of its users under the age of 25.

'India has almost a 100 million active mobile Internet users and that number is growing rapidly every year. That's the market, which we're building for. The rate at which hike messenger has grown in the last 18 months is phenomenal and is a strong testament of the right direction in which the product is steering,' Hike messenger Head (Product and Strategy) Kavin Bharti Mittal said in a statement.

Hike is available globally on platforms including iOS, Android and Blackberry.

It allows users to send free instant messages to friends or people in contacts list who are also using 'Hike' anywhere across the globe and share location, media such as photos and videos instantly.

The company said it has added a new feature to Hike, which allows users to share all file formats, from Docs, PPTs, PDFs to MP3s, of up to a 100 MB each, surpassing the attachment limit of all IM applications.

The company also announced the availability of a feature 'Hidden Mode' to help users keep their private chats hidden from others.

'In a country like India, where teenagers stay with their parents and families, and where their need for privacy is constantly challenged, we believe this feature could be a boon for all our users,' Mittal added.