Mukesh Ambani's Jio blatantly copied WhatsApp for JioChat
What's the story
A week ago, Jio Platforms, the telecom-to-digital entity of Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, launched JioMeet, a video conference service that looked more like a rip-off of its prime competitor 'Zoom'.
Now, the company has launched a facelift of its instant messaging service JioChat, and weirdly enough, this one is also a blatant copy.
Here is all you need to know about it.
Clone
App revamp mimics WhatsApp
JioChat has been around for years. But, just recently, it received an update bringing a revamped interface.
This new, supposedly refreshing look of the service matches that of WhatsApp — the biggest messaging service in the world, owned and operated by Facebook, which happens to have pumped over $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms as part of the company's recent fund-raising spree.
Differences
Many not-so-subtle elements copied
While JioMeet was a complete rip-off of Zoom, cloning almost its entire UI, UX, and app language, JioChat is more like a loose copy.
It retains a few differentiating elements like Channels and Stories, but copies some not-so-subtle WhatsApp-specific elements, including the app's tabbed home screen, its green shade, swipe-accessed camera, and the search and hamburger menu icons on the upper right corner.
Information
Even placement of icons is exactly the same
Along with the design of icons, their placement is also similar to that of WhatsApp in most, if not all, of the cases. The green shade, meanwhile, is the default theme and can also be changed with other color options.
Need
Clearly, Jio needs to do more on the design front
Jio Platforms has not commented on the eerily similar design of JioChat, but these cases clearly show the need to do more on the design front.
The Ambani-led company is doubling down on its digital products to push PM Modi's "vocal for local" call. But, all that effort is of no use if the products end up looking like clones of American apps.
Possibility
JioMeet's interface already being tweaked
Given that Jio Platforms has already started pushing out interface changes for JioMeet, there is a possibility, although not confirmed, that JioChat may also see some tweaks in the near future.
The company has been drawing flak on Twitter over its clones, and it would want to fix things to make sure its products are not ditched by the users.
Data
Jio Platforms has raised over $15.5 billion in recent months
Fixing these issues would also echo Jio Platforms' commitment to building high-quality products for India, something Ambani has repeatedly emphasized during the company's multi-billion-dollar deals in recent months. Overall, between April and July, Jio Platforms raised over $15.5 billion for a 25.09% stake.