SERVICE AT YOUR FINGER TIPS

For devotees heading to the Tirumala temple, booking darshan and stay and even offering donations will soon be as easy as, well, using WhatsApp. But that barely scratches the surface. A month after the Andhra Pradesh government launched 'WhatsApp Governance' for 161 civic services on January 30, the state is now poised to extend the rollout to more programmes.

- Amarnath K. Menon

The Meta-backed WhatsApp, the king of 'unhindered communication' in India, has been coopted as a tool for digital services delivery by the state-run civic service initiative, Mana Mitra. The first such platform in the country, it streamlines the delivery of civic services, allowing citizens to submit requests, access essential information and avail services directly through WhatsApp. It is accessible both in Telugu and English and also as a voice service for those who cannot text on smartphones.