What is the primary purpose of Kotlin in Android development?

Kotlin is designed specifically to address the needs of modern Android development, which includes providing a programming language that is not only expressive and concise but also emphasizes safety. The primary purpose of Kotlin in the context of Android is to streamline the coding process, making it easier for developers to write and understand their code. This is achieved through features like null safety, extension functions, and coroutines, which help prevent common programming errors and facilitate asynchronous programming.

The language's concise syntax reduces boilerplate code, allowing developers to focus more on the functionality of their applications rather than the intricacies of coding. Furthermore, Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java, meaning that developers can use it alongside existing Java codebases without significant issues, thereby enhancing the overall development experience. These attributes make Kotlin particularly well-suited for developing robust and maintainable Android applications.