Microsoft's Nadella announces Skype Lite for India

A data-friendly version of Skype, the app through which you can voice or video chat internationally for free, is coming soon to India. Called Skype Lite, it is designed specifically for the Indian mobile market. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, which owns Skype, announced today its features during the company's Future Decoded event in Mumbai.

The new version takes into account India's erratic internet connection, where common complaints of slow data and patchy network prevents users from installing and using apps that require super-fast internet. Eugene Ho, director of product management, acknowledged India's connectivity issues. “Skype Lite works well on high speed and low band networks,” he said, “It is powered by the new cloud services and made for consumers in India.”

Skype, which was originally a PC application, is currently a 40MB app that can be downloaded on Android, iPhone and Windows phones. Skype Lite, on the other hand, is reported to be around 13MB. What's more, it still has all the features of the original version and adequate call quality. Besides instant messaging, you can also voice and video call, using your Skype ID or mobile number.

The app will also make sharing photos easier. It can compress photos and upload them consuming less data. Among its other features, is an option which shows you how much data—mobile and WiFi—has been consumed.

Plus, you can see all your SMS messages and regular phone call logs in one place, on Skype Inbox. It has a special feature which can filter out promotional messages and put them under a separate tab, like Gmail currently does. It also incorporates messages from bots for businesses (such as travel or information) under another tab.

Nadella and his team revealed that the app was built in Hyderabad's Microsoft centre and has been tested with Indian users. Based on their inquiry for suggestions and feedback on the use of the app, the team has built an app that works for the Indian scene. For instance, users had requested for the segregation between regular SMS messages and promotional messages.

Microsoft India also tweeted that the new Skype Lite has an in-built “Aadhaar integration”. For instance, for a job interview over Skype, a person can verify himself by entering his Aadhaar number. This data will be deleted once the conversation is over.

At the event, which started yesterday and ended today, Microsoft also announced a slew of projects and innovations on its plate for the Indian market. Project Sangam, which uses Microsoft's LinkedIN and Aadhaar-based e-praman, is aimed at “helping people to get better jobs”. The company also announced a strategic tie-up with Flipkart and joining hands with Tata Motors for futuristic cars loaded with AI assistant Cortana.