Facebook to test relaunched Instagram Lite in India

Facebook Inc said on Wednesday it is testing a new, less data-intensive version of its photo and video sharing app Instagram in India, a key growth market for the U.S. social media giant.

The app, Instagram Lite, is less that 2MB in size, which will help it run smoothly on low-memory smartphones and broaden its userbase, the Menlo Park, California-headquartered company said.

The company is relaunching the Lite app after closing down a previous version, which operated chiefly in emerging markets, earlier this year.

“With the test of Instagram Lite… we’re aiming to democratize expression and creativity for a greater number of people in India,” Instagram vice-president of product Vishal Shah said at Facebook’s first ‘Fuel for India’ event, where the company showcased its products and services.