TCS ties up with Twitter India for election app

TCS ties up with Twitter India for election app

MUMBAI: Arguably the country's largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services has tied up with social media giant Twitter to launch an app, iElect, to help users gain social insights into the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

“The TCS iElect app is a completely new way to observe, analyse and participate in the social conversations around the world's largest general elections,” TCS said in a statement.

The app harnesses the power of social media, big data, analytics and mobility to make sense of what seems to be a complex web of conversations, it added.

“TCS iElect will be new and engaging for them to participate through the entire process with its gamified and interactive features,” TCS VP and head corporate communication Pradipta Bagchi said.

Users of iElect app will have access to insights and trends on a real-time basis. Plans are afoot to launch an iOS version as well.

“iElect makes real time Twitter data and analytics around key political events and content accessible to every Indian. The app has opened up a unique engagement opportunity with Twitter content for our users," Twitter India market director Rishi Jaitly added.

More that 814 million voters, including over 23 million in the age group of 18-19 years, are exercising their franchise in the world's largest democracy where polls are being held in nine phases up to 12 May.

India has the third-largest number of internet users at more than 238 million, with a majority of them youth. This includes over a 100 million people active on social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter.

According to a study by IRIS Knowledge Foundation and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), there are 160 high-impact constituencies in India out of the total 543, which are likely to be influenced by social media during the general elections.