The next time I’ll meet evangelism folks from Nokia or Microsoft, I’ll give them a tight hug. Forget the market share discussions and fanboy arguments, the Windows Phone ecosystem is thriving in India. It’s a great time to follow the ecosystem, and makes my job easier (I hope Daniel is not reading this!).
Yet another key example of how Windows Phone continues to do well in India is the release of Airtel Money for Windows Phone 8.
I’m excited about Airtel Money landing up on Windows Phone Store because it has been one of the apps on my wish list. I’ve been an Airtel Money customer since its inception via USSD (*400#). For those who don’t know, Airtel Money is a Reserve Bank of India-authorized payment service.
Airtel Money subscribers can use their bank account or debit/credit card to load up their account, and use the service as a mobile wallet. A caveat though, the service is currently available only for Airtel subscribers.
The service allows prepaid mobile recharge, DTH recharge, Datacard recharge, postpaid and land line bills for Airtel, and electricity bills. You can also transfer money instantly to over 50 banks in India seamlessly and shop online on sites like Myntra, Bookmyshow, and Jabong.
While you get great deals on prepaid recharge and offers and discounts on online shopping and bill payments (details here), the app usage is completely free. There are no data usage charges for the app as it doesn’t utilize your mobile data. When you fire the app, it asks for turning off the WiFi which is an awkward requirement and adds additional step for users like me who keep WiFi on all the time.
Download the free Airtel Money app for Windows Phone 8 devices from the Windows Phone Store. If you are an Airtel subscriber and would like a mobile wallet service, I’d highly recommend the same. Give it a whirl, and let us know how you like it.
