Twitter launches subscription service Blue in India, Indonesia and Brazil

Twitter has rolled out its subscription service, Twitter Blue, to users in India, Brazil and Indonesia, it said on Wednesday, tapping large key overseas markets where it has amassed over 100 million users.

Elon Musk, the owner and chief executive of Twitter, had previously suggested that he will lower the price of the subscription service in emerging markets, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Twitter Blue’s monthly cost is $10.9 on iOS and Android in India, and about $7.8 for users paying through the web, for instance.

Revamped last year, Twitter Blue gives users on the social networking site a range of additional features such as the coveted blue check mark and the ability to edit a tweet, post longer videos, organize bookmarks, customize the app icon, and put an NFT as the profile picture.

The debt-laden firm, aggressively attempting to expand its monetization efforts, plans to bring several additional features to the subscription service to make it more enticing to users. The firm plans to cut the number of ads subscribers see on the Twitter website and app, as well as amplify paying users’ reach on the platform, it said.

Wednesday’s rollout makes Twitter Blue available to users in 15 markets.

India and Brazil are key overseas markets for most Silicon Valley firms. Twitter has amassed over 100 million monthly active users in Brazil and India alone, according to mobile intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

But most global services are generally available for cheaper in these markets to factor in the nations’ low GDPs. Netflix’s base monthly subscription tier in India — without ads — costs $1.8, for instance. Spotify and Apple Music, similarly, are available for less than $1.5 a month.