Bumble is launching their app in Inda with the help of its new investor and brand ambassador actress Priyanka Chopra. The actress should help Bumble India get off to a fast start, having already announced it to her 23.6 million followers on Twitter.
Welcome to the Bumble family! 💛🇮🇳 @priyankachopra https://t.co/QJLERqG2dZ
— Bumble (@bumble) October 4, 2018
The CEO of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe, also announced Bumble India on Twitter:
.@priyankachopra and @Bumble founder and CEO @whitwolfeherd introduced their latest endeavor, Bumble India. https://t.co/BltwoELHxF
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) October 30, 2018
Whitney Wolfe commented on CNN about changes Bumble made in an effort to make them feel more comfortable using the app in India:
Bumble is a Recalibration of Human Behavior
I believe that no matter what area of the planet you are trying to enter you have to be so in tune with the customs and the culture. We’ve taken a lot of measures, both in the product and in the go-to-market strategy to really be mindful and to bring something that the girls and women of India would actually want to use.
In India, in particular, we have deleted first names. Now you use your first initial. We want you to feel safe and secure and have your anonymity and know as a woman that you can really hide behind all these different shields Bumble provides you. So, a first initial for starters, verified photos, and then women make the first move on Bumble. This is a huge thing.
There were a lot of naysayers at the beginning of Bumble four-plus years ago that this is a gimmick, this is just a way to enter the space. But no, it’s not a gimmick. It’s a recalibration of human behavior and the way we treat each other. This creates safety in and of itself.
Women Need Empowerment Globally
I think that women need empowerment globally, it doesn’t matter where it is. The more disempowered the mindset, the culture, wherever that might be. You can even take America, for example, there are different parts of the country that are a bit more archaic in mindset. We had a lot of people challenge us here as well at the beginning of Bumble. You will never survive in the South, or you will never survive in this state or that territory. To be candid, we thrived.
The more disempowered, the more archaic, the more desire to rise and be equal women truly are at their core. We need to provide that globally. Yes, we need to be really mindful of culture and tradition. But at the end of the day, we aren’t doing anything other than saying we want to encourage empowerment and equality.
About Bumble
Bumble is a social network that allows you to feel empowered while you make those connections, whether you’re dating, looking for friends, or growing your professional network. When members of the opposite sex match on Bumble, women are required to make the first move, shifting old-fashioned power dynamics and encouraging equality from the start.