Republic World Launches An Ultralight Mobile App

Republic World, part of Republic TV’s umbrella brand, which is India’s number one English news channel since 64 weeks, just became India’s first news media brand to launch a Progressive Web App (PWA).

PWA optimizes how fast the website responds to content being accessed across browsers and devices, regardless of screen size and bandwidth. Thus, it enhances the overall user experience. Simply put, PWA functionality enables websites to feel more like a native app. Users can copy the site’s homepage to their home screen and open it like an app. PWA enabled websites load quickly and can be added to smartphone home screen, function offline and can send push notifications - making them much more convenient than a traditional web app. So, it lets people interact with it like an app without the hassle of downloading it.

Progressive Web Apps are a hot discussion topic right now and touted as the future of mobile internet because they combine the best features of the app world and the web to provide viewers with a reliable, high-speed and engaging experience even in areas with poor internet connectivity.

“Republic World has always been a trendsetter instead of a trend follower,” Vikas Khanchandani, CEO of Republic TV, said. “We have always been the forerunners to present users with content and technology that they find valuable and easy to use. In line with this philosophy, we have become India’s first news brand to launch one of India’s lightest mobile apps. Our Progressive Web App gives users the best of both worlds on mobile devices. PWA will especially be useful for our viewers in Tier II & III towns who are looking for ways to access high-quality news and stay informed about the latest happenings in and around the country & world.”

Ben Morrell, General Manager, Asia at Brightcove, said, “Republic World has been a game changer in the India market since their launch last year and they continue to look at new ways to continuously bring world class user experiences to their site, and the implementation of PWA only serves to elevate its position as India’s most innovative English news brand online.”

Rajat Mehta, Senior President & Country Head - Brand, Digital & Retail Marketing at YES Bank, said “YES Bank has been a proud founding partner of Republic TV. As a new-age, technology enabled bank, we are delighted to collaborate with Republic TV for their Progressive Web App initiative. With the ever evolving Digital ecosystem, Mobile is increasingly becoming the preferred medium to consume content and PWA will help deliver a superior experience to the consumer.”

The top three advantages of Republic World’s Progressive Web App (PWA) are:

• Dependable - Through extensive testing, Republic World has asserted that the PWA loads instantly. This app will serve viewers in Tier II & III towns in India much better. Thus, those untapped markets will also get access to reliable, effective news and opinions of Republic World.
  
  
• No Download Needed - Users currently download a large number of apps on their mobile phones, and this slows their devices down. But viewers can access Republic World’s PWA without having to download it. They simply click on a link and get the natural experience of an app with an engaging user experience on their device. All this without the web app being a drain on the device’s memory and storage.

• Control of Content Distributed - Republic World video content is streamed live and on-demand using the Brightcove video platform, which has one of the fastest video players in the industry. With the implementation of PWA, this will further enhance the overall website user experience.  This exciting partnership gives Republic TV brand, complete control of content they display throughout the day and what viewers like & dislike.