Vadodara: Imagine being connected with a friend’s circle, close and loved ones or just acquaintances based on their real-time location, on social media while sipping tea.
Startup incubated by the University of MS which has started a location-based social media platform has opened the Smart Chai Station in Vadodara.
This has become the first social media platform that makes money by selling tea and drinks.
Moreover, the tea station is also the first retail store that receives cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin & Dogecoin as a payment method.
“At present, there are no well-designed social media platforms for the Indian market.
When we talk about ‘making in India’, there is a need for location-based social media applications.
So, we developed gossip as a better version of Twitter, “Said Shubhra Saha, who along with Shyam Sunder has established a social media platform.
The pass-out of the MSU Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad Institute of Design has introduced a GPS feature in group chat, a tool through which everyone around you gets a notification.
During the covid-19-19-induced pandemic peak, the location and interest-based application also provides covid chat features to connect ambulance searches, hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and drugs for service providers.
“We have started Gossip Smart Chai Station as the first real life social media platform.
You can meet and drink tea and conversations in the physical location of the social media platform in various regions in the city,” Saha said.
“Initially, all social media platforms were seen to increase their customer base.
But then, users are frustrated with constant advertising and promotions that continue to emerge.
Therefore, we have decided to produce from tea and not advertisements,” added Saha.
Regarding the cryptocurrency which is very debated and very fluctuating, Saha said that the purpose of accepting this payment method is to increase awareness and discuss around it.
“At present, there are no rules about their use.
But because the economic system changes, we can begin to see the use of wider cryptocurrencys because the e-wallet or digital wallet is being used,” he said.