Paytm
Paytm is a mobile wallet that lets you deposit money from your bank account, credit or debit card. You can then use it to either pay for online and offline shopping or for a wide array of services including mobile phone recharge, movie/bus/flight tickets and a lot more. You can also use it to send and receive money without incurring any fee. When demonetisation happened, Paytm rose to the occasion and soon you could see sign boards outside shops that said ‘Paytm accepted here’ even in remote villages across Kerala. With the number of vendors supporting Paytm increasing day by day, it is safe to say Paytm is here to stay and grow.
IRCTC Rail Connect
When the Indian Railways launched online ticket booking in 2002, it became a sensation in no time. Therefore it was no surprise that when the official mobile app released in 2014, it became an even bigger success. With over 14 lakh tickets booked every day, IRCTC Rail Connect quickly became the choice of scores of travellers in the country, even eclipsing the website on some days. You can book tickets and make payment through a host of payment modes, including IRCTC’s own eWallet for quicker transactions and next day refunds. With expansion into railway meals and air tickets, IRCTC remains the top choice for the quintessential Indian traveller.
Hotstar
Released in 2015 by Star India, Hotstar became popular when it provided completely free access to ‘live’ (delayed by five minutes) cricket matches. Soon, Star India brought in their catalogue of 35,000 hours of content, spread across eight languages from entertainment, movie and sports channels, including Asianet, Asianet Plus and Asianet Movies. What makes Hotstar special for fans of daily soap operas such as Chandanamazha and Karuthamuthu is that you have access to every single episode, starting from the very first episode that was probably aired over a decade back. With over 108 shows and 870 movies from Malayalam alone, there is no stopping of Hotstar any time soon.
Truecaller
Getting random phone calls from unknown numbers in the middle of the night can be truly irritating. Imagine the name of the caller popping up, even if he is not in your contact list. Truecaller can do that and more. It can identify phone numbers even in WhatsApp groups. You can search with a phone number (or with a name if you upgrade to Pro version) and find the person you are looking for. You have the option to block callers. With a base of 25 crore users, 60% of them being in India, Truecaller is the biggest phone directory in the world.
Dailyhunt
Originally launched as Newshunt in 2011, Dailyhunt quickly became the favourite news app of Keralites, particularly those who want to read news from their local dailies. With newspapers from over 10 leading Indian languages (including Malayalam), Newshunt also lets you use the app itself in one of the 14 supported languages, making it ideal for non-English speakers who favour regional language. With breaking news alerts, live cricket scores, further customisation and expansion into ebook and magazine category in local languages, Dailyhunt continues to top the list of news apps in India.
The idea of a free alternative to SMS; it began here. Technically, WhatsApp was not the first phone-to-phone messenger. But after launching in 2009 on iPhone, WhatsApp skyrocketed to the top of all charts within two years by which it was available on all mobile platforms including Android. Today, it is owned by Facebook and is completely free for use. You can send messages, form chat groups, make voice as well as video calls. The upcoming version is slated to add a unique feature that allows you to edit a message after you sent it, as long as it has not been read by the receiver. With over 100 crore active users, WhatsApp continues to dominate the messaging market.
