Instagram announces Instagram Lite & next edition of its creator program

At the Facebook Fuel For India virtual event, Instagram highlighted the test of a new version of Instagram Lite, and the second edition of the 'Born on Instagram' creator program.

Instagram is extending the test of Instagram Lite to people in India. The app is less than 2MB in size and aims to deliver an Instagram experience that remains fast. It also announced the second version of Born on Instagram, with an objective to equip the next generation of content creators with best practices to use the platform, and collaboration and mentorship opportunities.  

Vishal Shah, VP of Product, Instagram at Facebook, said, “India is such an important country for us and has been a testing ground for innovation, thanks to the natural creativity and entrepreneurial spirit we see here. With the test of Instagram Lite and the next edition of Born on Instagram, we’re aiming to democratize expression and creativity for a greater number of people in India. We’re also hoping to gain valuable insights before a global rollout of Instagram Lite.”

Instagram Lite

Early this year there was research conducted in India, to ascertain the attractiveness and comprehension of new products, and one barrier that was observed was the compromised internet experience, as a result of low memory phones and heavy-sized apps.

This set the context for the test of Instagram Lite, and India is a primarily test country for it. The Instagram Lite app is created to bring the core Instagram experience to people who do not have an Instagram experience today.

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The app is made for Android and this new version has improved speed, performance, and responsiveness. The experience is similar to the core Instagram app experience, though there are some features that are not currently supported such as Reels, Shopping, and IGTV. 

The app will be available in Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Born on Instagram 2.0

The program was announced in November 2019 to discover, grow and showcase creators from all across the country. It was conceptualized in recognition of the creativity being witnessed across India.

Now in the next edition, the program has been attuned to incorporate the new features on Instagram, especially Reels. It will go on for a period of 6 months and will continue to offer masterclasses from internal and external experts, as well as collaboration and mentorship opportunities.