Patanjali’s Kimbho App Disappears From Google Play Store

Patanjali Ayurved's messaging app ‘Kimbho' was today pulled down from the Google Play Store, a day after its beta trial version was introduced on the platform.

The Baba Ramdev-led firm alleged that it was a conspiracy by multinational companies against a Swadeshi firm and said the app will be back soon.

“#Patanjali #kimbho App has fallen victim of conspiracy of foreign companies #MNCs. We regret the inconveniences. It will be back soon,” Patanjali Ayurved spokesperson SK Tijarawala said in a tweet.

आजादी की 72वीं वर्षंगांठ पर परम पूज्य @yogrishiramdev ने देश में "डिजीटल आजादी" का ऐलान किया और अपने सर्वाधिक बहुप्रतीक्षित चैट मैसेंजर एप #किम्भो के ट्रायल वर्जन को प्ले स्टोर पर डालने की घोषणा की।

Download #KIMBHO https://t.co/4yIGEiKRUo

Office launch will be on 27 August pic.twitter.com/OGAJ9U0y5N

August 15, 2018

When contacted, Tijarawala said the trial version of the ‘Kimbho' app was removed by Google without citing any reason. “We are communicating with them asking the reason why it was removed from the Play Store,” he said.

E-mails sent to Google did not elicit a response.

Yesterday, the Haridwar-based firm had put Kimbho's trial version on Google Play Store for downloads almost two months after it was taken down hastily. It had also said the app will be launched officially on Aug. 27 after fixing the shortcomings.

On May 31 this year, Patanjali had removed Kimbho, which means ‘how are you' or ‘what's up' in Sanskrit, from Google Play Store and Apple's App Store just a day after launch, saying it was released only for a one-day trial.

At that time, several technical experts had pointed out security flaws in the app. Patanjali is pitching ‘Kimbho' as a competitor to Facebook-owned Whatsapp.

Patanjali, known for its range of fast-moving consumer goods, had claimed that Kimbho had witnessed around 1.5 lakh downloads in the first three hours.

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