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Published 13:00 IST, November 6th 2022

When will 'Twitter Blue' roll out in India? CEO Elon Musk has the answer

From paid blue ticks to mass layoffs, Billionaire Elon Musk has been making rapid changes at Twitter after he acquired the social networking company.

Reported by: Deeksha Sharma
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Image: AP/ Shutterstock | Image: self

From paid blue ticks to mass layoffs, Billionaire Elon Musk has been making rapid changes at Twitter after he acquired the social networking company in a $44 billion deal last week. Apart from making changes, Musk has also been active in engaging with Twitter users and providing them clarity about the future of the platform. 

On Sunday, the CEO provided the tentative date as to when the platform’s premium subscription service known as Twitter Blue will be launched in India. When asked by a user: “When can we expect to have the Twitter Blue roll out in India? #TwitterBlue,” Musk responded: “Hopefully, less than a month.” Reacting to it, the user wrote: “Super, that’s fast!  Looking forward and guessing it could be INR 649 or so. Will be interesting to see if it’s incl GST or if it will take it to close to 10$.”

Twitter Blue, which is a paid blue tick service, has already been rolled out in countries like the US, UK, New Zealand, and Canada for a monthly fee of $8. Its description on Apple’s App Store reads: “Get Twitter Blue for USD 7.99/month if you sign up now Blue checkmark: Power to the people: Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow.” 

Twitter undergoes big changes as Musk takes over as the CEO    

In addition to Twitter Blue, Musk also revealed in a tweet that “Twitter will soon add ability to attach long-form text to tweets, ending absurdity of notepad screenshots.” He also pointed out Twitter’s outdated search bar and said that it will be revamped. “Search within Twitter reminds me of Infoseek in ‘98! That will also get a lot better pronto,” Musk wrote in another tweet.

Musk’s new changes on Twitter have been heavily scrutinized by social media users across the world, including the decision to reduce the workforce by nearly 50%. Hundreds of former Twitter employees have bid adieu to their jobs and shared lengthy notes of gratitude on their accounts after being laid off. Others have brought shocking details to light, such as extended work hours and sleeping at the office to achieve deadlines and targets after Musk took over as the CEO.

Updated 13:00 IST, November 6th 2022