VISAKHAPATNAM: With its live programme ‘Uncover Vizag’, receiving a huge response on Facebook, the the city-based startup Localwire is coming up with another live interaction with collector Pravin Kumar on the Facebook on August 27, where the citizens can pose their queries and get answers live.
With a nine-member team, the Localwire is among the most followed pages and apps in the city. Launched in January last year, the startup has gained popularity and received best startup award during the ‘Start AP’ programme a few months ago. Keeping Vizagites updated about the happenings in the surroundings, the startup has reached over 9,500 users of the app in just one and a half years. “We are not here to cover events, rather happenings and issues. Women and civic issues, governance, citizen interaction are what we concentrate upon,” said Localwire founder and CEO Rakesh Polisetty.
The startup’s first live programme was done during Vizag Bay Marathon and it has got many views even from abroad, being a first marathon in the night. The recent pepper spray and live programme at a private college with discussion on women issues as part of ‘Uncover Vizag’ has got a record 25,000 views in the first 48 hours. “We want public to interact with the collector and get their queries answered. When we shared this idea with him, the collector immediately agreed to it. The live will run from 5 pm,” said Rakesh.
The Localwire has additional features, through which one can login and get regular feeds. The user can adjust the radius of up to 100 km and get the happenings.
The app provides a page just like Twitter, where users can interact and post any issues related to the city. The startup is waiting for funding to expand its base to other cities like Benguluru and Hyderabad. Till date over 18,000 posts have been shared in the app.