Homegrown audio-only app fireside from the house of short-video making platform Chingari in May said it has crossed 1 lakh downloads in just a week of Beta announcement. Founded by Sumit Ghosh, Aditya Kothari and Ashwat Venkateshan, fireside aims to bring back intimacy and emotions in the way Indian converse online. “In today’s time when isolation has become a reality, fireside gives a huge support by creating a virtual room to bridge emotional and communication gaps,” said Ghosh, CEO fireside.

The app, available on both the iOS and Android platforms, engages users into meaningful talks and thought-sharing with folks in a complete audio format like Clubhouse. Fireside also makes SOS calls convenient through its latest user-friendly audio features and amplifies urgent messages in social circles or groups by saving time and making connection easier. The app offers a common virtual location (room) with common shared topics or interests so that like-minded people can come together for long and meaningful conversations. Users can club their niche interests and chat about anything to stay up to date.