Google launches YouTube Go for India

Google today announced a new version of its YouTube app called 'YouTube Go' for India to tackle slower network connections. The project is part of company’s 'Next Billion' program through which it aims to connect India’s next billion people to the internet.

YouTube Go offers a range of features to make it easier for users to watch videos on slow networks. The chief among them is YouTube Go’s ability to share videos among friends. The "social" feature uses Wi-Fi Direct protocol to exchange the files, the company confirmed to Mashable India.

With YouTube Go, Google is also trying to enhance YouTube’s offline-feature. On the new app, people get a "super low bandwidth" preview of the video they want to download. The company says it is also sharing more information on how much data a video consumes.

YouTube Go will be launched in India for Android users later this year. It will support several local Indian languages including Tamil and Marathi. Users can sign up for early access at YouTubeGo.com/signup.

YouTube Go is faster, lighter, and has been built from ground up for the Indian market, Johanna Wright, Vice President of Product Management, YouTube said today at a press conference in New Delhi. The team spent time in rural India to understand the challenges people face with internet access.

"We believe that no matter who you are, or where you come from, everyone should get an opportunity," Wright said. The company said it spent a lot of time in Indian rural areas to understand the challenges people face in accessing the internet. "You can’t solve these challenges by sitting in Silicon Valley," Wright added.