Sandes, India’s alternative to WhatsApp, being tested by govt officials
The application is reportedly used by ministry officials
Reports also suggest that govt officials are using it on a trial basis
Sandes has features common to most messaging apps
It has voice and data features
Information about Sandes is available on the official website gims.gov.in
Gims is the ‘Government Instant Messaging System’ developed by the government
The app is currently only available to authorised government officials
Its backend is managed by the National Informatics Center
Reports also indicate that Sandes is available on iOS and Android platforms
In India, WhatsApp is facing controversy over its privacy policy updates
