Language Matters: The Story of Mayank Bidawatka and the Multilingual Micro-blogging Platform Koo

Mayank Bidawatka is one of those Indian entrepreneurs who noticed what others ignored. He saw how millions of people across India wanted to express themselves online but were left behind because most digital spaces were built around English. That single insight shaped Koo, a homegrown social media platform that lets users post and connect in their native languages. For a country with dozens of languages and countless dialects, it was an idea that immediately clicked with users seeking digital identity without language barriers.

Koo started in 2020, founded by Mayank Bidawatka and Aprameya Radhakrishna, who earlier built the ride-hailing service TaxiForSure. The goal was simple yet powerful: create a space where Indians could share opinions, news, and ideas in the language they think in. Koo quickly grew during the period when global social media platforms were facing criticism for being too English-centric. Within months, millions of users joined from different parts of India, including politicians, artists, and local creators. People from rural regions began expressing themselves freely, creating a wave of regional digital participation rarely seen before.

Mayank’s background in product design and marketing helped Koo stand out. The app supported multiple Indian languages from the beginning, including Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, and Gujarati. Each feature was designed to make communication effortless, whether it was writing short posts or following trending discussions. The brand leaned on trust, simplicity, and a clean interface that encouraged users to post more often. This approach helped Koo get featured among top Indian startups focused on regional inclusion and self-expression.

Entrepreneurs across India often talk about how local language startups are becoming an important part of the digital growth story. Koo’s rise has proven that Indian users crave platforms built for them, not adapted for them. The app created jobs, inspired local creators, and helped build regional digital communities. Its impact extends beyond social networking because it gave voice to users who were silent online for years. For investors and founders, it opened a new conversation about local-first products and how deeply they can connect with users.

Today, Koo continues to compete with global players while maintaining its core mission of empowering Indian language speakers. Mayank Bidawatka’s leadership shows how cultural understanding and entrepreneurship can merge to build something truly meaningful for a diverse country like India. It’s not just an app, but a movement where language meets opportunity and technology meets the people it was meant to serve.