Telegram reduces subscription fee for premium users in India

Encrypted messaging platform Telegram has reduced its monthly subscription fee in India for premium users, down to Rs 179 from Rs 469.In a message sent to its users in the country, the platform announced the discount in subscription fees, as it focuses on aggressively growing in a country where WhatsApp has nearly 500 million users.India is one of the key markets for Telegram, which has amassed over 700 million monthly active users globally.According to third-party data, Telegram has more than 120 million users in India, and aims to fast tap into the ever-growing WhatsApp user base.According to a recent research by techARC, at least one in five respondents in India prefer Telegram over WhatsApp for varied reasons, including finding it secure and respecting privacy, features like channels, allowance of users in a single group and sharing of large-size files.Over 32 cent of the respondents said they send critical and secret messages over Telegram.Globally, Telegram’s monthly subscription for premium users is in the range of $4.99 to $6.