JOIN USA new application in the making, will make it easier to reunite with a long-lost friend, meet-up with someone you want to date or even find a friend to hang out with in the vicinity.
The app, ‘Hookedup’, is being designed by City-based entrepreneur, Ankit Poddar. The first phase of the application will be launched in November.
Poddar said the app is an Indianised version that will help people ‘hook-up’. He is quick to add that the phrase has several meanings and the app is designed in a way to satisfy the needs of the person interpreting it.
“For some, hooking-up means to date, while for a few others, it just means to meet. So, the idea is to create an online platform for people who wish to catch-up,” he said. To avoid challenges such as multiple profiles, the application will be integrated with Facebook.
While several other dating apps provide similar options, Poddar promises that his version will be best suited for the Indian mindset. “There is a social taboo associated with the word ‘dating’. Our app provides a platform for ‘meeting’ and this makes it more comfortable for the users. It is not just meant for couples but also those who wish to re-unite with old friends when they are in the vicinity,” he explained.
Poddar spoke about his app at an alumni meet of the Bhubaneshwar-based Kalinga Institute of Industrial Training (KIIT), organised in the City on Sunday.
Achyuta Samanta, founder, KIIT said the alumni meet was intended to exchange ideas and thus contribute to the growth of the institute. He said they were also contemplating on setting-up centres in each of their offices located in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and other cities where entrepreneurs can find a one-stop destination for legal help, financial assistance, counselling and guidance.