Apps by Mumbaiites, for Mumbaiites
Primarily, the free apps are being created by Mumbaiites in their 20s and 30s, from information technology (IT) entrepreneurs to students just out of management and engineering colleges.
There’s a rush of new smartphone apps being created by Mumbaiites, for Mumbaiites — including apps that help you find a specific kind of doctor in your area, help students find the best deals and discounts, track dengue cases and offer tips for prevention and recovery, or even help you decide where to go for dinner.
Primarily, the free apps are being created by Mumbaiites in their 20s and 30s, from information technology (IT) entrepreneurs to students just out of management and engineering colleges.
IT entrepreneur Jay Pagnis, 34, for instance, launched an app called War on Dengue in October. “Having suffered the ordeal, I wanted to do something to spread awareness about the disease,” he said. “I was surprised to find how little most people know about the condition.”
For management graduate Niranjan Nakhate, 22, it was the struggle to make his pocket money last the month that inspired Frapp, which he launched a month ago. Frapp helps students find the best discounts and deals at events, gigs, restaurants, stores and even gyms. “The app is very student-friendly and easy to use,” says management student Sapna Choudhary, 19, who uses the app.
Another such app, SavePocketMoney, is set to launch by mid-February, created by former classmates Jinaal Shah and Rahul Mahajan, both 27.
Software engineering graduate Kapil Wanaskar, 24, meanwhile, launched HealthCare 24X7 a month ago to help people new to the city find good doctors. “I , along with my ex-classmates Anurag Meena and Rahul Beniwal, decided to create something similar for Mumbaiites because living in a new city and not knowing who to go to when you’re ill can be scary,” he says.
This app, like most of the others, uses the smartphone’s GPS capability to locate the services closest to the user’s current location. HealthCare 24X7 was rolled out in Mumbai and is now operational in seven cities — Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai too.
For Mithul Etta, 24, the experience of going to restaurants and not knowing what a dish would look like before ordering it inspired the app Tippler.
Tippler, launched in August, now has visuals and details f rom about 50 restaurants across Mumbai.