LinkedIn has announced the launch of the LinkedIn Lite app, a data-light version of its Android app which takes up less than 1 MB of storage.

The app, developed in Bengaluru, was launched nine months ago in India.

It will now be released to 60 other markets.

The move follows the footsteps of Facebook which witnessed exponential growth after Facebook Lite's release.

Benefits of using LinkedIn Lite app

LinkedIn Lite app pages can load in five seconds "even on a 2G network," the company has claimed.

Data usage on it will also reduce by 80% while crucial features such as news feed, jobs, profile, access to the LinkedIn network, messaging, notifications, and search are retained.

The company's India manager said: "We hope the LinkedIn Lite app will democratize access to economic opportunity."

Lite app has boosted LinkedIn usage in India

LinkedIn has grown steadily in India thanks to LinkedIn Lite, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 towns where internet connectivity remains poor and where users have low-end phones.

India has emerged as a top market for LinkedIn in the Asia Pacific, contributing 42 million users.

Learning from Facebook

In 2015, Facebook launched its Lite app for Android which has since crossed 200 million users, contributing immensely to its overseas revenues. Facebook Lite has grown at a faster pace than its original app. LinkedIn would look to replicate Facebook Lite's success.

Globally, LinkedIn has 500 million users and the company expects to witness further growth through its lite app.

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