Online advertisers estimated to have spent over Rs 600 crore in 2007 : Alootechie: "Online advertisers estimated to have spent over Rs 600 crore in 2007
December 31, 2007 | News | Share This
Mahesh Murthy, founder and CEO of search engine marketing firm Pinstorm, estimates that Google’s revenues in India have likely tripled in the last year to more than Rs 200 crore. “At Pinstorm, we think the total amount spent online by advertisers is well over Rs 600 crore this year—which is about twice of what it was last year, and about half as much again as what we think it’ll be next year.”
According to Mahesh Murthy, the mainstream agency network has missed most of the online advertising boom in India “with very little of this money going through their air-conditioned offices in Lower Parel, Mumbai. But they’re now trying to buy the digital independents that are getting away with it.” (Source: LiveMint)"
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
The Big Indian Aviation market Fraud
The Big Indian Aviation market Fraud
As we also run an offline travel desk we often get queries from people on reservation of cheap air deccan 1Re ticket or similar schemes launched by various airlines. Though most of the time reason for people to ward off is the taxes charged by the government. This post is not about the tax charged by the government but how many times taxes collected from passengers are not reaching the government.
We have seen so many times people who have booked these low fare air tickets are unable to draw refund for the taxes paid on these cheap tickets. The catch here is at time of buying e-ticket airline clarify in case you will not use the ticket nothing will be refunded. Fair enough dont refund money collected under your own head but would like to know what is the procedure to get tax back on congestion fuel etc which was not used especially in the case where passenger did cancel his/her air tickets lets say 72 hours before the flight. As far as my sources claim the tax never reach government coffers. Which legally speaking means misrepresentation as no one gives right to anyone to collect money on behalf of government and evade the tax on their own terms.
If i am wrong about the system would like to hear aviation domain experts take on it.
Online ticketing to clock 271 per cent growth
Online ticketing to clock 271 per cent growth
New Delhi: IATA has set a deadline of 2008 to introduce e ticketing across the globe, the ubiquity of e-tickets in India has increased manifold.
The online ticketing is clocking growths of over 271 per cent to become a $2 billion revenue sector.
''Revenues for this year will be about 1.2 billion dollars with travel consultants PhoCusWright predicting a growth of 271 per cent,'' PTI quoted Cleartrip.com Chief Executive Officer Sandeep Murthy as saying.
The company has recently raised $11.7 million from private sources to fund its needs.
''We have raised a sum on 11.7 million dollars from venture capitalist like Dag Ventures and have already utilised about eight million dollars,'' Murthy said.
The travel boom, emergence of low cost carriers, proliferation of the Internet and the growing acceptance of e-commerce over the last few years, are key factors that have fuelled the growth of the sector.
The company is now looking at going offline as 90 per cent of ticketing is still done through this mode.
For this the company has already set up a pilot project under which kiosk has been set up in the Kishore Biyani's 'Future Bazars'.
Cleartrip has recently joined hands with 'Future Money' to provide finance on extended monthly installments to people who want to buy its travel products.
This facility will be made available at four Big Bazaar outlets in Mumbai.
Cleartrip will soon extend this tie-up to other 66 Big Bazaar outlets as well as 31 pantaloons. This facility can be used to pay for all Cleartrip's offerings like air tickets, hotel bookings, tour packages and railway tickets.
However, Murthy ruled out any service extension in the form of telephonic ticket bookings. ''We might consider it later but at present the cost structure does not make sense and our margins will suffer.''
Murthy sees revenues from international travel to be the key drivers and plans to introduce international bookings of airlines through the Internet in the next three months.
Mobile advertising still in tryout stage - Yahoo! News
EW YORK - In the weeks leading to Christmas, an online wine retailer gave 15 percent discounts to anyone who sent in a photo of its newspaper ad snapped with a camera phone.
| ADVERTISEMENT |
SnapTell Inc., the company helping Wine Enthusiast and other merchants offer such services, uses image-recognition software to determine what offer, video clip or other content to return to the phone. In the coming months, the same technology could deliver movie reviews and discounts to anyone snapping a picture of a movie poster or billboard.
It's one of a number of emerging approaches to mobile advertising, an industry still in its infancy but showing promise. More than 80 percent of Americans now own cell phones — a statistic Jupiter Research analyst Neil Strother equated with "carrying a potential advertising channel in their pocket."
Fast-food chains, carmakers and TV reality shows have run contests and other promotions in which consumers participate by sending text messages. Wireless carriers have begun letting companies run banner ads — mini-versions of what you might see on a PC. Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have brought lucrative search ads to phones.
Advertisers have been spending a little money here, a little there trying to gauge what works on mobile phones. The efforts so far are best described as trials and pilots, lacking in comprehensive strategy.
"It's the Wild, Wild West right now," said Rick Sizemore, chief strategy officer for the tech consultancy Multimedia Intelligence. "This is an interesting and compelling vehicle, but they don't necessarily know who to work with. There are so many options out there — a lot of hype with no substance, and then a couple of gems."
SnapTell is among Sizemore's favorites.
Gautam Bhargava, SnapTell's co-founder and chief executive, said the company considered the phone's unique qualities — its lack of regular keyboards in most cases, and the ubiquity of built-in cameras. Rather than require someone to punch in a brand name using a clunky keypad, the company decided to accept picture messages.
"We wanted to make it simple for the end user," Bhargava said. "There's nothing to install on your phone. You don't need to pre-register. We do not have to worry about whether you are with Carrier A, B or C."
Another of Sizemore's favorites is Single Touch Interactive Inc., which plans to unveil in February a program that lets customers activate electronic coupons at drug stores and other retail chains simply by dialing the pound sign on the phone followed by "SAVE." Discounts are automatically applied at the register.
"I don't want to increase the line and have customers be frustrated because someone's fumbling trying to find a coupon" in a text message, said Anthony Macaluso, Single Touch's chief executive. "What we need to do today is not change the behavior of the retail point of sale or the behavior of the customer."
There are still a number of hurdles before mobile advertising can truly take off.
Advertisers now have a good idea what a typical desktop computer can do. Handsets, however, vary in screen size and features — even the same model can be configured differently depending on a customer's carrier.
And there are also big differences among users: Some people use phones only for calling, some have dabbled with text messaging and others are comfortable surfing the mobile Web and watching video.
"In mobile you can't assume anything," said Derek Handley, chief executive of The Hyperfactory, a mobile ad company. "You need to build programs and campaigns around this fact."
In addition, many users pay for services by the minute, message or kilobyte. Seven ads via text messaging could hike a phone bill by a dollar.
The uncertainty has led to some experimentation in business models, as some wireless carriers and ad companies bet that consumers will embrace ads for free minutes or ring tones.
Virgin Mobile USA LLC, which offers prepaid mobile services, said more than 10 percent of its 5 million customers have signed up for Sugar Mama, a program that lets customers earn up to 75 minutes of free airtime each month simply by watching ads or responding to mobile surveys. PepsiCo Inc., the U.S. Navy and Nintendo Co. have been among the brands participating.
Expect the experimentation to continue in the new year and beyond.
"That's how a new market is being created," said Dan Olschwang, chief executive of JumpTap Inc., an ad-technology company. "People adopt all kinds of stuff they know from other medium and gradually the industry learns how to utilize the best in this new medium that's called the mobile phone."
Mobile advertising still in tryout stage - Yahoo! NewsSunday, December 23, 2007
2010 Commonwealth Games -
2010 Commonwealth Games - The 2010 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Delhi, India. With a population of over 15 million, Delhi is one of the largest cities in the world.
India will be only the third developing country to host the event after Jamaica in 1966 and Malaysia in 1998. This is only the second time the event have been held in Asia (after 1998)."
Opening ceremony
October 3, 2010
Closing ceremony
October 14, 2010
Number of Tickets Sold in the 2006 Common wealth games in Australia: 1.2 million
Preparation
India's Sports Minister will head the apex committee for conducting the games while the Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi will head the organising committee. The Games will be held from the 3rd to the 14th of October.
The advertising campaign for the games was revealed on the 26 March 2006, right after the Transfer of the Flag from the Mayor of Melbourne to the Mayor of Delhi.
The triathlon appears likely to be excluded from these games as there is no suitable location for the swimming stage. The organisers have also proposed removing basketball, but want to include archery, tennis, and billiards and snooker for men. Cricket, although in strong demand, may not make a come-back as the Board of Control for Cricket in India were not keen on a Twenty20 tournament, but the organisers did not want a one day tournament [2].
Indian Rugby Football Union officials are helping the Games Committee in the organisation of building a rugby union-specific stadium. [1]
In addition to new sports facilities the entire city is to be given a facelift, including new roads, modernisation and increase in public transport, new power plants, etc. The estimated amount to be poured into the city for it to be ready in time for the 2010 games is about $17.5 billion.
Preparation for the Games' Global Village complex in Delhi has unleashed a protracted legal battle, as the Delhi Government, in contravention with Delhi High Court order (2005) and without obtaining the necessary environmental clearances from multiple agencies, has proceeded with a 40 ha construction project on the floodplains of the Yamuna River. The Yamuna floodplain, while being prone to flooding and located on a seismic fault, is a critically endangered river stretch and a major source of replenishing the groundwater in and around Delhi. The Government cites national pride and the expected economic benefits as reasons for the project, although they have failed to adequately address why the site cannot be moved to other suggested locations. The case is underway in the Delhi High Court as of December 2007.
India will be only the third developing country to host the event after Jamaica in 1966 and Malaysia in 1998. This is only the second time the event have been held in Asia (after 1998)."
Opening ceremony
October 3, 2010
Closing ceremony
October 14, 2010
Number of Tickets Sold in the 2006 Common wealth games in Australia: 1.2 million
Preparation
India's Sports Minister will head the apex committee for conducting the games while the Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi will head the organising committee. The Games will be held from the 3rd to the 14th of October.
The advertising campaign for the games was revealed on the 26 March 2006, right after the Transfer of the Flag from the Mayor of Melbourne to the Mayor of Delhi.
The triathlon appears likely to be excluded from these games as there is no suitable location for the swimming stage. The organisers have also proposed removing basketball, but want to include archery, tennis, and billiards and snooker for men. Cricket, although in strong demand, may not make a come-back as the Board of Control for Cricket in India were not keen on a Twenty20 tournament, but the organisers did not want a one day tournament [2].
Indian Rugby Football Union officials are helping the Games Committee in the organisation of building a rugby union-specific stadium. [1]
In addition to new sports facilities the entire city is to be given a facelift, including new roads, modernisation and increase in public transport, new power plants, etc. The estimated amount to be poured into the city for it to be ready in time for the 2010 games is about $17.5 billion.
Preparation for the Games' Global Village complex in Delhi has unleashed a protracted legal battle, as the Delhi Government, in contravention with Delhi High Court order (2005) and without obtaining the necessary environmental clearances from multiple agencies, has proceeded with a 40 ha construction project on the floodplains of the Yamuna River. The Yamuna floodplain, while being prone to flooding and located on a seismic fault, is a critically endangered river stretch and a major source of replenishing the groundwater in and around Delhi. The Government cites national pride and the expected economic benefits as reasons for the project, although they have failed to adequately address why the site cannot be moved to other suggested locations. The case is underway in the Delhi High Court as of December 2007.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Internet user base grows by 40% to 46 mn
Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI): "Internet user base grows by 40% to 46 mn
Publication: Business Statnderd
Date: 5 December 2007
For the first time ever, the internet user base in India grew by over 40% on a year-on-year basis to touch 46 million in September 2007 from 32.2 million in 2006. During the same period, the number of active internet users (those who regularly surf the web) has reached 32 million, according to the Internet in India [I Cube] Report 2007, published jointly by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International.
Subho Ray, president, IAMAI, said: 'Although a growth of 40% year-on-year makes us happy - given that for the last couple of years the rate of growth was between 30-35% - the growth rate is not very satisfactory relative to what can be achieved and what needs to be achieved.'
The report notes that growth of Internet users is primarily driven by the fact that the number of people who know how to use a computer unaided has grown to 65 million up from 15.8 million in 2000. Besides 70% of the PC literates have used the internet some time or the other in their lives.
"Broadband which would drive more applications, functions and businesses - and therefore more users - now really needs to take off in India in order to make the growth sustainable. If the broadband targets are not met in the Year of the Broadband, there is a possibility of missing out on creating a virtuous cycle of better connectivity, better content and more users," Ray said.
Mohan Krishnan, senior vice president, IMRB and country manager BIRD, IMRB, opined that the demand for the internet continued to be primarily from urban areas. Therefore, while the government was justifiably drawing up plans to reach internet to rural areas, it was also necessary that the urban digital divide should also be bridged with appropriate policy measures
Publication: Business Statnderd
Date: 5 December 2007
For the first time ever, the internet user base in India grew by over 40% on a year-on-year basis to touch 46 million in September 2007 from 32.2 million in 2006. During the same period, the number of active internet users (those who regularly surf the web) has reached 32 million, according to the Internet in India [I Cube] Report 2007, published jointly by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International.
Subho Ray, president, IAMAI, said: 'Although a growth of 40% year-on-year makes us happy - given that for the last couple of years the rate of growth was between 30-35% - the growth rate is not very satisfactory relative to what can be achieved and what needs to be achieved.'
The report notes that growth of Internet users is primarily driven by the fact that the number of people who know how to use a computer unaided has grown to 65 million up from 15.8 million in 2000. Besides 70% of the PC literates have used the internet some time or the other in their lives.
"Broadband which would drive more applications, functions and businesses - and therefore more users - now really needs to take off in India in order to make the growth sustainable. If the broadband targets are not met in the Year of the Broadband, there is a possibility of missing out on creating a virtuous cycle of better connectivity, better content and more users," Ray said.
Mohan Krishnan, senior vice president, IMRB and country manager BIRD, IMRB, opined that the demand for the internet continued to be primarily from urban areas. Therefore, while the government was justifiably drawing up plans to reach internet to rural areas, it was also necessary that the urban digital divide should also be bridged with appropriate policy measures
Friday, December 21, 2007
Indians key to next billion mobile users: Study
Indians key to next billion mobile users: Study: "Indians key to next billion mobile users: Study
BS Reporter / New Delhi December 21, 2007
Although only about one in 20 of the world’s first two billion mobile subscribers live in India, as many as one in every four of the next billion subscribers will be an Indian, a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said.
The report focuses on a distinct group of consumers — the next billion — whose potential to become profitable customers has been greatly underestimated.
Based on extensive primary research, the BCG study has estimated that around 91 million households in India belong to this next billion segment.
These households have been identified based on a combination of factors including household savings, discretionary expenditure, ownership of basic consumer durables and banking relationships, the report added.
Categorised by income, this segment sits just above the poorest of the poor and just below consumers who are already targeted by most companies. In India, income of the urban next billion household varies between Rs 60,000 and Rs 180,000 per annum.
BS Reporter / New Delhi December 21, 2007
Although only about one in 20 of the world’s first two billion mobile subscribers live in India, as many as one in every four of the next billion subscribers will be an Indian, a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said.
The report focuses on a distinct group of consumers — the next billion — whose potential to become profitable customers has been greatly underestimated.
Based on extensive primary research, the BCG study has estimated that around 91 million households in India belong to this next billion segment.
These households have been identified based on a combination of factors including household savings, discretionary expenditure, ownership of basic consumer durables and banking relationships, the report added.
Categorised by income, this segment sits just above the poorest of the poor and just below consumers who are already targeted by most companies. In India, income of the urban next billion household varies between Rs 60,000 and Rs 180,000 per annum.
| In rural areas, the floor is lower at Rs 40,000 per annum reflecting the lower cost of living. There are 18 million households in India that lie above the next billion segment and 95 million households that are below the next billion. |
| BCG has surveyed over 15,000 next billion customers and conducted several focus group discussions and in-depth interviews across India, Brazil and China to understand their aspirations, needs and behaviours. |
| James Abraham, a partner and director in BCG’s New Delhi office and a co-author of the report, said: “The next billion will be different from the first two. For the next billion, the mobile phone can change their lives, improving their economic prospects more significantly than any other tool.” |
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Burrp compiles a list of New Years parties across 8 cities : Alootechie
Burrp compiles a list of New Years parties across 8 cities : Alootechie: "Burrp compiles a list of New Years parties across 8 cities
December 21, 2007 | News | Share This
Social lifestyle listings portal Burrp.com has compiled a list of New Years parties “to help users locate the best place to be on the New Years Eve.” The list currently provides information about 100 parties across eight cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. “With contributions pouring in from users as well, we are likely to double the number of parties by 31st Dec,” Burrp has said.
Burrp has also made its presence at Ahmedabad by launching Ahmedabad.Burrp.com. According to Burrp, apart from restaurants, cafes and night clubs, Burrp Ahmedabad also includes the famous street side chaat stalls and chai wallahs that Amdavadi’s are specifically fond of. “Besides, since non-vegetarian food is a rarity in Ahmedabad we have ensured to include and highlight the places that do serve meat to make things easier for visitors,” the company has said."
December 21, 2007 | News | Share This
Social lifestyle listings portal Burrp.com has compiled a list of New Years parties “to help users locate the best place to be on the New Years Eve.” The list currently provides information about 100 parties across eight cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. “With contributions pouring in from users as well, we are likely to double the number of parties by 31st Dec,” Burrp has said.
Burrp has also made its presence at Ahmedabad by launching Ahmedabad.Burrp.com. According to Burrp, apart from restaurants, cafes and night clubs, Burrp Ahmedabad also includes the famous street side chaat stalls and chai wallahs that Amdavadi’s are specifically fond of. “Besides, since non-vegetarian food is a rarity in Ahmedabad we have ensured to include and highlight the places that do serve meat to make things easier for visitors,” the company has said."
38 million people in India are using mobile phones to access internet: TRAI : Alootechie
38 million people in India are using mobile phones to access internet: TRAI : Alootechie: "38 million people in India are using mobile phones to access internet: TRAI
December 20, 2007 | News | Share This
According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the number of Indians using their mobile phones (both GSM and CDMA) to logon to the internet has increased from 16 million in 2006 to 38 million in 2007.
Broadband subscribers’ figures, on the other hand, as on 30th October 2007, were a mere 2.69 million. And there are 22 million personal computers in the country, with just 30 to 40 per cent of them with internet access.
This implies that internet access through mobile phones is at least six times more than that through PCs, and nearly 14 times more than broadband access, reports Business Standard."
December 20, 2007 | News | Share This
According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the number of Indians using their mobile phones (both GSM and CDMA) to logon to the internet has increased from 16 million in 2006 to 38 million in 2007.
Broadband subscribers’ figures, on the other hand, as on 30th October 2007, were a mere 2.69 million. And there are 22 million personal computers in the country, with just 30 to 40 per cent of them with internet access.
This implies that internet access through mobile phones is at least six times more than that through PCs, and nearly 14 times more than broadband access, reports Business Standard."
Travelguru to acquire hotel portal Desiya.com for Rs 100 crore : Alootechie
Travelguru to acquire hotel portal Desiya.com for Rs 100 crore : Alootechie: "Travelguru to acquire hotel portal Desiya.com for Rs 100 crore
December 20, 2007 | News | Share This
Travel portal Travelguru.com, which focuses on online hotel bookings, is acquiring Delhi-based B2B hotel portal Desiya.com for $25 million (around Rs 100 crore). Travelguru is also scouting for an offline travel player with a pan-India presence.
Desiya.com claims to have 1,000 travel agents and 225 travel portals among its clients. It has 1,500 hotels in its inventory all over India. The portal registers 600 transactions a day, over 500 B2B transactions and 100 inbound hotel bookings, reports Economic Times.
Travelguru raised $10 million from Sequoia Capital India in January 2006 and in November 2006 it got its second round of funding of $15 million from Battery Ventures and Sequoia Capital India"
December 20, 2007 | News | Share This
Travel portal Travelguru.com, which focuses on online hotel bookings, is acquiring Delhi-based B2B hotel portal Desiya.com for $25 million (around Rs 100 crore). Travelguru is also scouting for an offline travel player with a pan-India presence.
Desiya.com claims to have 1,000 travel agents and 225 travel portals among its clients. It has 1,500 hotels in its inventory all over India. The portal registers 600 transactions a day, over 500 B2B transactions and 100 inbound hotel bookings, reports Economic Times.
Travelguru raised $10 million from Sequoia Capital India in January 2006 and in November 2006 it got its second round of funding of $15 million from Battery Ventures and Sequoia Capital India"
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
WOW - Noida Appu Ghar, Unitech tie-up for amusement complex in Noida
The Hindu Business Line : Appu Ghar, Unitech tie-up for amusement complex in Noida
Noida , March 21
THE promoters of Delhi's Appu Ghar have teamed up with real estate firm, Unitech Ltd, to build a new amusement complex in Noida.
The amusement park, billed to be the largest facility of its kind in the country, will cost Rs 1,000 crore and its first phase will be thrown open to the public next year.
"The World of Wonders (WOW) will have a large water park, two malls, theme parks to cater to different age groups and a five-star hotel in the 150-acre complex," according to Mr Sanjiv Tyagi, Managing Director of International Recreation Parks Private Ltd (IRPPL).
IRPPL is a 50:50 joint venture between Unitech and International Amusement Ltd, the parent company of Appu Ghar.
Construction is in full swing and one of the malls, along with the water park and a Bollywood theme park will be ready by next year. The hotel and fantasy land will be completed by 2008, Mr Tyagi said.
Mr Rakesh Babbar, the co-Managing Director of IRPPL who represents International Amusement Ltd said: "We were the first to get family entertainment parks in the country. This will be the biggest such facility in the country and we are introducing some rides for the first time in India."
The amusement park expects to attract close to 20,000 visitors on weekdays and over 30,000 on weekends, Mr Babbar said, adding that the average footfall at Appu Ghar is between 5,000 and 6,000.
IRPPL claims to have got the best designers and architects for the complex. Canada-based Forrec Ltd has prepared the design while Callison Architecture, which has been rated as the world's best retail architect firm, is also involved with the project, he said.
The two promoters will pool in Rs 30 crore each as equity and have tied up finance to the extent of Rs 90 crore. The rest of the money would come from sale and lease of the property.
The company has already tied up the anchor clients that include Lifestyle, Shoppers' Stop, Pantaloon and Arcus. Rave Cinemas will operate the six-screen multiplex in the mall.
Rohini - Unitech, International Amusement tie up for amusement parks - Express Hospitality
Unitech, International Amusement tie up for amusement parks - Express Hospitality
Unitech and International Amusement Ltd. (the promoters of Appu Ghar) have tied up for a 50:50 joint venture to develop the Rohini Adventure Island and Metro Walk in Delhi.
Unitech and International Amusement Ltd. (the promoters of Appu Ghar) have tied up for a 50:50 joint venture to develop the Rohini Adventure Island and Metro Walk in Delhi.
Monny Vijeshwar, managing director, Unitech Amusement Parks (UAPL) informed, "UAPL has developed The Metro Walk & Adventure Island at Rohini based on international standards, which has been designed to serve as one-stop entertainment and recreation destination for the entire family."
There is a horde of international consultants like Forrec Ltd of Canada for Architecture, Euro Pool of Scotland for Water Management, Cini Little of USA for Food & Beverages, TUV of Germany for Safety Measures and Monitoring, employed for the development of the park. All rides at the park have been imported from leading suppliers who supply to international amusement parks like Disneyworld, Universal and Six Flags. Talking about the new trends in outdoor entertainment, Vijeshwar said, "The Rohini Amusement Park Project will combine the experiences of both a retail and entertainment destination through its two distinct zones. The retail experience is called Metro Walk whereas the amusement park area is called Adventure Island. Adventure Island will also include a water park and a multimedia area."
"A total of over Rs 160 crores has already been invested in the project till date. The park is located in Sector 10, Rohini, a mere 400 metres from the Rithala metro station. The park is spread over an area of 62 acres and will feature over 20 different rides and attractions," Vijeshwar added. The project comprises two segments. The first is a shopping mall-Metro Walk, a retail environment with an area of 2.21 lakh square feet. This will house some of the world famous luxury brands. The second segment is the Amusement Park-Adventure Island, an amusement park and water park covering 35 acres of land. The first phase will also have 95 retail outlets in the Metro Walk mall, and 15 rides in the Adventure Island. Out of this, 78 retail outlets, inclusive of food outlets, are now open and 13 rides are operational. The second phase will include the opening of the rest of the amusement park and the water park.
"The park also follows the highest globally accepted safety standards of DIN-Deutshes Institut Fur Normung (European Safety Standards). A well-equipped first-aid centre provides facilities like an ambulance with a team of 24-hour in-house medical experts," informs Vijeshwar.
The promoters have commissioned an environment-friendly water management system. "The water will be sourced from 8 tube wells located along the site. This water will then be treated at the RO plants for water filtration before being used in the park. To counter the drawing of ground water, the park has outlined a plan to harvest water. Recharge pits will be constructed within the site that will absorb rainwater into the ground. The park also plans to set up a water treatment plant that would make it possible to recycle and reuse unclean water," describes Vijeshwar.
It currently has footfalls of 15,000 on weekends and 5,000 on weekdays. It is attracting visitors not only from West/North Delhi but also from places like Gurgaon and South Delhi.
Scorpions to play in Bangalore « Thinking Without a Box
Scorpions to play in Bangalore « Thinking Without a Box
Confirmed the dates at the Scorpions’ official website so looks like Bangalore gets to see the Scorpions again.
Confirmed the dates at the Scorpions’ official website so looks like Bangalore gets to see the Scorpions again.
There was no word on how to get the tickets but I did some digging around and found that the show is being organized by E-18, a group that’s part of the Network 18 company (CNN IBN’s part of their stable).
Long story short, you can book tickets online at BookMyShow . The tickets are priced at Rs. 7500, Rs. 1500, and Rs. 1000. I don’t know where you can get tickets off-line but we’ll probably get some ad in the newspaper in the next couple of days telling us where. (Rs. 7500 for a ticket is steep though.)
The website also says that the concert is at Palace Grounds and begins at 7 pm (gates open 5.30 pm).
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
John Malone Eyes Ticketmaster
John Malone Eyes Ticketmaster: "John Malone Eyes Ticketmaster
Malone's Liberty Media is dropping hints it may focus on the ticketing company as its payoff in Barry Diller's proposed IAC breakup.
If media moguls know one thing about cable billionaire John Malone, it's that he usually gets what he wants. What does Malone want these days? The top executive at Malone's Liberty Media says it could be Ticketmaster, which last year sold a staggering $7.1 billion worth of seats to events.
And Malone may just get it: Ticketmaster is one of several assets that fellow mogul and IAC/InterActiveCorp. (IACI) Chief Executive Barry Diller may be forced to sell to Liberty (LCAPA) to complete the IAC breakup he announced on Nov. 5 (BusinessWeek.com, 11/6/07)."
Malone's Liberty Media is dropping hints it may focus on the ticketing company as its payoff in Barry Diller's proposed IAC breakup.
If media moguls know one thing about cable billionaire John Malone, it's that he usually gets what he wants. What does Malone want these days? The top executive at Malone's Liberty Media says it could be Ticketmaster, which last year sold a staggering $7.1 billion worth of seats to events.
And Malone may just get it: Ticketmaster is one of several assets that fellow mogul and IAC/InterActiveCorp. (IACI) Chief Executive Barry Diller may be forced to sell to Liberty (LCAPA) to complete the IAC breakup he announced on Nov. 5 (BusinessWeek.com, 11/6/07)."
CollegeSpeaks, Yulop, Ubona — Startup Dunia - Indian startups and Entrepreneurship
CollegeSpeaks, Yulop, Ubona — Startup Dunia - Indian startups and Entrepreneurship: "Yulop is a local search / community site for Bangalore. They have 4 sections - Bangalore Swami (a Bangalore portal which includes events, forums, news, weather etc. for Bangalore), Cityfind (a yellow pages for Bangalore), Books Kannada (online book store for Kannda books) and Mobile (mobile access to the portal). Yulop seems to have an active user community and a decent number of listings in the CityFind section.
I have two main suggestions for the Yulop team:
1) The different sections on the site dont seem to make a lot of sense. In fact, I found them a bit confusing. In my opinion, the Cityfind should be merged with the Swami section. Also, a different ‘Books Kannada’ section for a Bangalore portal doesnt quite seem like a great idea. I think the Books Kannada should be launched as a different website. The books section kind of distorts the brand image if you were to ask me. If people want to associate Yulop as a Bangalore portal / yellow pages site, the books section skews that perception.
2) The events calendar for the site is too cluttered. Unfortunately Joomla doesnt have any chic looking event calendars."
I have two main suggestions for the Yulop team:
1) The different sections on the site dont seem to make a lot of sense. In fact, I found them a bit confusing. In my opinion, the Cityfind should be merged with the Swami section. Also, a different ‘Books Kannada’ section for a Bangalore portal doesnt quite seem like a great idea. I think the Books Kannada should be launched as a different website. The books section kind of distorts the brand image if you were to ask me. If people want to associate Yulop as a Bangalore portal / yellow pages site, the books section skews that perception.
2) The events calendar for the site is too cluttered. Unfortunately Joomla doesnt have any chic looking event calendars."
Indian Government to launch seed fund ? — Startup Dunia - Indian startups and Entrepreneurship
Indian Government to launch seed fund ? — Startup Dunia - Indian startups and Entrepreneurship: "Indian Government to launch seed fund ?
Tags: Entrepreneurship, VC India
This story in BS caught my eye.
The Indian government is taking steps to float a fund to make seed capital available to entrepreneurs. The govt. is putting together a framework for setting up an innovation promotion council. The fund’s initial corpus of Rs. 75 crores will come from the Dept. of Science and Technology. Three entities will be involved - the govt., TiE (to rope in VC and angel funds once the seed funding is over) and ISB (where ideas will be examined and nurtured).
The idea seems to be inspired by Israel’s efforts at such incubators."
Tags: Entrepreneurship, VC India
This story in BS caught my eye.
The Indian government is taking steps to float a fund to make seed capital available to entrepreneurs. The govt. is putting together a framework for setting up an innovation promotion council. The fund’s initial corpus of Rs. 75 crores will come from the Dept. of Science and Technology. Three entities will be involved - the govt., TiE (to rope in VC and angel funds once the seed funding is over) and ISB (where ideas will be examined and nurtured).
The idea seems to be inspired by Israel’s efforts at such incubators."
Indian Online Social Network Sulekha.com Gets $10 Million Investment | Digital Media Wire
Indian Online Social Network Sulekha.com Gets $10 Million Investment Digital Media Wire: "Palo Alto, Calif. - Norwest Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, Calif., said on Wednesday that it has invested $10 million Sulekha.com, India's largest social networking site.
It was the company's first institutional round of funding. The company runs various blogs, groups and networking services, as well as local commerce sites, in 25 cities worldwide, including eight in India. NVP currently manages more than $2.5 billion in venture capital."
It was the company's first institutional round of funding. The company runs various blogs, groups and networking services, as well as local commerce sites, in 25 cities worldwide, including eight in India. NVP currently manages more than $2.5 billion in venture capital."
Ticketmaster, NFL ink ticket resale deal - Yahoo! News
Ticketmaster, NFL ink ticket resale deal - Yahoo! News: "LOS ANGELES - Ticketmaster plans to launch a Web site next year where people can resell tickets to pro football games, the latest push by the event ticketing company into the lucrative secondary ticket market.
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The company signed a multiyear deal with the National Football League that includes branding and promotion for the site, Ticketmaster said in a statement being released Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
West Hollywood-based Ticketmaster already operates separate, so-called ticket exchange sites for 18 NFL teams, which allow ticket holders to resell their game tickets online.
The latest deal moves those teams and adds four others to the new portal set for debut sometime next year, said Ticketmaster, which is owned by New York-based Internet conglomerate IAC/InterActiveCorp.
Resales are a growing slice of the ticket market for sporting events, concerts and other events, but Ticketmaster lags other online ticket resale outlets such as StubHub, which is owned by eBay Inc., and auction sites such as eBay itself.
'It's fair to say we're an underdog in the category right now,' said Eric Korman, Ticketmaster's executive vice president. 'We need to really aggressively compete to win dollars and grow ahead of the competition.'
Ticketmaster plans to guarantee the resold tickets, which are sent to buyers electronically, just like it does with its regular primary ticket sales.
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The company signed a multiyear deal with the National Football League that includes branding and promotion for the site, Ticketmaster said in a statement being released Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
West Hollywood-based Ticketmaster already operates separate, so-called ticket exchange sites for 18 NFL teams, which allow ticket holders to resell their game tickets online.
The latest deal moves those teams and adds four others to the new portal set for debut sometime next year, said Ticketmaster, which is owned by New York-based Internet conglomerate IAC/InterActiveCorp.
Resales are a growing slice of the ticket market for sporting events, concerts and other events, but Ticketmaster lags other online ticket resale outlets such as StubHub, which is owned by eBay Inc., and auction sites such as eBay itself.
'It's fair to say we're an underdog in the category right now,' said Eric Korman, Ticketmaster's executive vice president. 'We need to really aggressively compete to win dollars and grow ahead of the competition.'
Ticketmaster plans to guarantee the resold tickets, which are sent to buyers electronically, just like it does with its regular primary ticket sales.
The company is counting on that security feature and the NFL branding to woo prospective ticket buyers and sellers.
"It's going to be safe, it's going to be reliable, it's going to be efficient," Korman said. "When you show up at the gate, you're ensured that ticket is going to be valid."
The company profits on the secondary sales by charging the seller and the buyer a percentage of the resale price.
Monday, December 17, 2007
41% of India’s internet users belong to smaller towns and cities: Report : Alootechie
41% of India’s internet users belong to smaller towns and cities: Report : Alootechie: "41% of India’s internet users belong to smaller towns and cities: Report
December 17, 2007 | News | Share This
According to the I-Cube (Internet in India) 2007 report jointly published by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International, 41 per cent of the total internet users (46 million) in India are from the smaller towns and cities with less than 1 million (10 lakh) population.
The I-Cube 2007 report also states that cities and towns with a population of 2 to 10 lakh have shown the fastest rate of growth in the internet adoption since 2000. In contrast, the share of top eight metros by population has fallen from 77 per cent in 2000 to 38 per cent in 2007.
Mohan Krishnan, senior vice president, IMRB International, has said, “The distribution of internet users among the four classes of cities covered by the I-Cube has been steadily becoming more equitable, a sure sign that internet is being gradually but steadily expanding to the smaller towns and cities.”
Subho Ray, president, IAMAI, has added, “The town class distribution of internet use in 2007 certainly reflects the aspiration of sections of non-metro population to ‘live locally but connect globally’."
December 17, 2007 | News | Share This
According to the I-Cube (Internet in India) 2007 report jointly published by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International, 41 per cent of the total internet users (46 million) in India are from the smaller towns and cities with less than 1 million (10 lakh) population.
The I-Cube 2007 report also states that cities and towns with a population of 2 to 10 lakh have shown the fastest rate of growth in the internet adoption since 2000. In contrast, the share of top eight metros by population has fallen from 77 per cent in 2000 to 38 per cent in 2007.
Mohan Krishnan, senior vice president, IMRB International, has said, “The distribution of internet users among the four classes of cities covered by the I-Cube has been steadily becoming more equitable, a sure sign that internet is being gradually but steadily expanding to the smaller towns and cities.”
Subho Ray, president, IAMAI, has added, “The town class distribution of internet use in 2007 certainly reflects the aspiration of sections of non-metro population to ‘live locally but connect globally’."
Rakesh Verma selected amongst Top 10 GPS businessmen of 2007 : Alootechie
Rakesh Verma selected amongst Top 10 GPS businessmen of 2007 : Alootechie: "Rakesh Verma selected amongst Top 10 GPS businessmen of 2007
December 17, 2007 | News | Share This
Rakesh Verma, managing director of CE Info Systems (MapmyIndia.com), has been selected amongst the world’s top 10 GPS businessmen of 2007 by GPS Business News.
According to GPS Business News, the purpose of the nomination is to “highlight the role of ten personalities that have achieved notable successes and/or have strongly influenced the navigation and location-based services market by their actions in the last twelve months.” The award for top GPS Businessman for 2007 will be announced by GPS Business News on December 20, 2007.
Under Rakesh Verma’s guidance, CE Info Systems has built the most comprehensive and accurate digital maps of India under the MapmyIndia brand. By introducing all India consumer products in the internet, mobile phone and in-car space, MapmyIndia is changing the face of navigation industry in India, which is set to become one of the largest world-wide consumer markets for navigation in the next five years, CE Info Systems has said."
December 17, 2007 | News | Share This
Rakesh Verma, managing director of CE Info Systems (MapmyIndia.com), has been selected amongst the world’s top 10 GPS businessmen of 2007 by GPS Business News.
According to GPS Business News, the purpose of the nomination is to “highlight the role of ten personalities that have achieved notable successes and/or have strongly influenced the navigation and location-based services market by their actions in the last twelve months.” The award for top GPS Businessman for 2007 will be announced by GPS Business News on December 20, 2007.
Under Rakesh Verma’s guidance, CE Info Systems has built the most comprehensive and accurate digital maps of India under the MapmyIndia brand. By introducing all India consumer products in the internet, mobile phone and in-car space, MapmyIndia is changing the face of navigation industry in India, which is set to become one of the largest world-wide consumer markets for navigation in the next five years, CE Info Systems has said."
Seventymm eyes Rs 100 crore revenues from 3 lakh users : Alootechie
Seventymm eyes Rs 100 crore revenues from 3 lakh users : Alootechie: "Seventymm eyes Rs 100 crore revenues from 3 lakh users
December 17, 2007 | News | Share This
Bangalore-based VCD/DVD rental service company Seventymm.com claims to have 40,000 users of which 50 per cent are from outside India. The company is now targeting three lakh users generating revenue of over Rs 100 crore.
Seventymm currently operates in six cities — Bangalore, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The company is now planning to expand its area of operations to 20 cities in two years. “We are also planning to introduce movie downloads in India by the end of Q4 of 2008,” Subhanker Sarker, COO, Seventymm, has been reported by exchange4media as saying."
December 17, 2007 | News | Share This
Bangalore-based VCD/DVD rental service company Seventymm.com claims to have 40,000 users of which 50 per cent are from outside India. The company is now targeting three lakh users generating revenue of over Rs 100 crore.
Seventymm currently operates in six cities — Bangalore, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The company is now planning to expand its area of operations to 20 cities in two years. “We are also planning to introduce movie downloads in India by the end of Q4 of 2008,” Subhanker Sarker, COO, Seventymm, has been reported by exchange4media as saying."
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Don't undermind Ad Revenues- Teen Millionaire
People of the Web - Teen Millionaire: "Teen Millionaire
Not so long ago, teen Ashley Qualls lived in a one-bedroom apartment with her mom and sister. But with her computer and savvy business sense she made a better life for all of them.
By KEVIN SITES, TUE OCT 30, 12:11 AM PDT
Ashley Qualls doesn't sound like a typical high school student. Maybe that's because the 17-year-old is the CEO of a million-dollar business.
Ashley is the head of whateverlife.com, a website she started when she was just 14 — with eight dollars borrowed from her mother. Now, just three years later, the website grosses more than $1 million a year, providing Ashley and her working class family a sense of security they had never really known."
(Watch the video )
Not so long ago, teen Ashley Qualls lived in a one-bedroom apartment with her mom and sister. But with her computer and savvy business sense she made a better life for all of them.
By KEVIN SITES, TUE OCT 30, 12:11 AM PDT
Ashley Qualls doesn't sound like a typical high school student. Maybe that's because the 17-year-old is the CEO of a million-dollar business.
Ashley is the head of whateverlife.com, a website she started when she was just 14 — with eight dollars borrowed from her mother. Now, just three years later, the website grosses more than $1 million a year, providing Ashley and her working class family a sense of security they had never really known."
(Watch the video )
Execs: Web ad spending should be higher - Yahoo! News
Execs: Web ad spending should be higher - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK - Online advertising jumped 25 percent this year, raking in a cool $20 billion, but Internet executives say that figure could have been even higher if advertisers had reliable and consistent ways to measure online audiences.
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Unlike traditional media, where each format has one main ratings provider — The Nielsen Co. for television, Arbitron Inc. for radio and so on — there are many sources of data on online audiences. And they frequently conflict.
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Unlike traditional media, where each format has one main ratings provider — The Nielsen Co. for television, Arbitron Inc. for radio and so on — there are many sources of data on online audiences. And they frequently conflict.
Disagreement also continues over which criteria best gauge users' potential interest in a product or service. And the resulting data aren't easily comparable to ratings in other media anyway.
It's a "problem of plenty," as Manish Bhatia, president of global services for Nielsen Online, a unit of The Nielsen Co., told a recent conference on online audience measurement.
Web publishers are frustrated that the lack of cohesion is holding them back from capturing more of the $250-billion-a-year U.S. advertising pie, especially given the huge amount of time people spend online.
"This industry looks like it can't get out of its own way," said Steve Wadsworth, president of The Walt Disney Co.'s Internet group. "We need measurement of the audience and their use of the system that's clear, simple and actionable for a marketer. You need comparability with other media."
As Internet executives hash over clickstreams, page views and user panels, 2008 is sure to see even more evolution of the way online audiences are measured. Other media — including TV, radio and billboards — also are revamping the way they calculate ratings in response to pressure from advertisers trying to measure how effective their ad dollars are.
About 1 in 5 IBM employees now in India - Yahoo! News
About 1 in 5 IBM employees now in India - Yahoo! News
BOSTON - IBM Corp.'s expansion in developing countries shows no sign of relenting. The technology company revealed Friday that it now has 73,000 employees in India, almost a 40 percent leap from last year.
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IBM did not provide updated figures for its work force in the U.S., which has held steady around 125,000 people in recent years.
Nor did IBM project its total head count. It had 355,766 employees worldwide at the end of 2006.
If the total has risen by the same rate as in 2006, almost one in five IBM workers now is in India, its second-largest center.
Like many other technology providers, IBM has rushed to take advantage of the lower labor costs India offers even for highly skilled workers. IBM's base in India numbered only 9,000 people in 2003, but it was about 53,000 last year.
IBM has been stressing not only the lower expense of working in India but the potential of the Indian market. IBM executives told visiting Indian journalists last week that the company expected to see revenue from the Indian market jump to nearly $1 billion this year, from $700 million in 2006.
Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM is also ramping up in other key developing markets. Its chairman and chief executive, Sam Palmisano, recently formed a new organization that will spur IBM's investment in emerging economies.
The plan is meant to capitalize on the higher growth rates in the so-called "BRIC" countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China. IBM's revenue from those countries rose 18 percent in the first three quarters of this year, even after discounting the benefit of currency fluctuations. IBM's total employee count in those countries now is nearly 100,000, up from 70,000 a year ago.
IBM's vice president of financial management, Jesse J. Greene Jr., would not forecast how much more hiring the company still might do in emerging markets. However, he said "we see continuing good stability in the BRIC countries in general and good opportunity for growth in those countries as well."
BOSTON - IBM Corp.'s expansion in developing countries shows no sign of relenting. The technology company revealed Friday that it now has 73,000 employees in India, almost a 40 percent leap from last year.
ADVERTISEMENT
IBM did not provide updated figures for its work force in the U.S., which has held steady around 125,000 people in recent years.
Nor did IBM project its total head count. It had 355,766 employees worldwide at the end of 2006.
If the total has risen by the same rate as in 2006, almost one in five IBM workers now is in India, its second-largest center.
Like many other technology providers, IBM has rushed to take advantage of the lower labor costs India offers even for highly skilled workers. IBM's base in India numbered only 9,000 people in 2003, but it was about 53,000 last year.
IBM has been stressing not only the lower expense of working in India but the potential of the Indian market. IBM executives told visiting Indian journalists last week that the company expected to see revenue from the Indian market jump to nearly $1 billion this year, from $700 million in 2006.
Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM is also ramping up in other key developing markets. Its chairman and chief executive, Sam Palmisano, recently formed a new organization that will spur IBM's investment in emerging economies.
The plan is meant to capitalize on the higher growth rates in the so-called "BRIC" countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China. IBM's revenue from those countries rose 18 percent in the first three quarters of this year, even after discounting the benefit of currency fluctuations. IBM's total employee count in those countries now is nearly 100,000, up from 70,000 a year ago.
IBM's vice president of financial management, Jesse J. Greene Jr., would not forecast how much more hiring the company still might do in emerging markets. However, he said "we see continuing good stability in the BRIC countries in general and good opportunity for growth in those countries as well."
Friday, December 14, 2007
MakeMyTrip plans to enter online bus ticketing segment : Alootechie
MakeMyTrip plans to enter online bus ticketing segment : Alootechie: "MakeMyTrip plans to enter online bus ticketing segment
December 14, 2007 | News | Share This
Travel portal MakeMyTrip.com is planning to enter the online bus ticketing segment. “The online bus ticketing business is likely to witness robust growth in the coming years. We are aggressively planning to foray into this sector and are looking for tie-ups with some of the budding online bus-ticketing portals,” Sachin Bhatia, chief marketing officer, MakeMyTrip, has told Economic Times.
According to PhoCusWright, a travel industry research firm, travel portals in India did a business of $800 million in 2006 which is expected to hit $2 billion by 2008. Though the contribution of online bus ticket booking to the overall online travel business is mere 8-10 per cent currently, the share is expected to double in the next three years.
Mayank Bidawatka, marketing head, RedBus.in, has said, “We have been experiencing a 30 per cent month-on-month growth in our revenues.” Some of the other players active in the online bus ticketing space are Ticketvala.com, Yatra.com, TheLuxuryBuses.com, AbhiBus.com and CheckoutTrip.com."
December 14, 2007 | News | Share This
Travel portal MakeMyTrip.com is planning to enter the online bus ticketing segment. “The online bus ticketing business is likely to witness robust growth in the coming years. We are aggressively planning to foray into this sector and are looking for tie-ups with some of the budding online bus-ticketing portals,” Sachin Bhatia, chief marketing officer, MakeMyTrip, has told Economic Times.
According to PhoCusWright, a travel industry research firm, travel portals in India did a business of $800 million in 2006 which is expected to hit $2 billion by 2008. Though the contribution of online bus ticket booking to the overall online travel business is mere 8-10 per cent currently, the share is expected to double in the next three years.
Mayank Bidawatka, marketing head, RedBus.in, has said, “We have been experiencing a 30 per cent month-on-month growth in our revenues.” Some of the other players active in the online bus ticketing space are Ticketvala.com, Yatra.com, TheLuxuryBuses.com, AbhiBus.com and CheckoutTrip.com."
Thursday, December 13, 2007
PVRCinemas.com - PVR Movies online booking engine « Business India 2.0
PVRCinemas.com - PVR Movies online booking engine « Business India 2.0: "me as i never expected the site to be not friendly to Mozzila firefox browser. Once the registration was completed they had an email system where activation code is sended which need to be entered on the site to get the account activated. I thought the problem only lay with registration system hence again gave the site shot with firefox browser selected the movie and show which i wanted ticket for. Though i like the online seat selection procedure with live feed on seats available, but again ran into problem after entering credit card was unable to get response back. Problem firefox. Tried the whole procedure using Internet Explorer worked fine. Wasnt happy paying INR 10 extra per ticket as convienance charge but its alrite as atleast it ensures i will get seat in show of my choice. Site has lot of usability issue and would have preffered to book it using movietell but unfortunately they still dont have PVR cinemas on their movie booking engine. Movietell on other hand has improved a lot with faster retrival of information and easier user interface to manage with nice use of javascript and AJAX. Keeping more information aside for next month review of movietell"
MovieTell.co.in
Movietell.co.in - Online Movie Ticket Booking Service Delhi
Published December 23, 2006 DVD rental India , Entrepreneurship India , Moviemart , Retail India , Startup , Technology , seventymm 9 CommentsDoing a search recently to find service which provides online movie ticket booking service in delhi brought me to movietell.co.in. Will the site had unimpressive UI. The ajax widget which help you select theatre and movie timing was pretty cool. Though end of the day were useless keeping in mind didnt connect right to registration page as new customer or ask for login kind of thing.
Important thing for these sites is competition they will be recieving from M-Tickets venture. Though their are issues and still possibility is Movietell kind of model can sustain better in india.
First issues with movietell and how can they improve their business model.
# They need to get UI design more clearer with better presentation
# They are charging 10 Bucx per ticket they got to work out a better model. Example if they are issuing E-Tickets why not sell ad-space on the e-ticket itself. As only 30% content is going to be movie details .Rest 70% can be used for displaying ad’s which can help in keeping the cost down to zero.
# Secondly they can increase the actual volumes and negotiate with cinemas to work on commission basis. Its common to work on 4-5% distribution or printing cost reduction margin basis.
# You can try to go in for a franchisee model where people can goto buy ticket offline from a franchisee who has deposited money at your end. This way you are creating a bigger value chain and pressence pan-india.
# Try not to just concentrate on movie tickets. Get Concerts and sports events also online. As these are mediums still selling via banks etc.
This can be a great model which can surely work if right people for execution are available. If they need help do e-mail me.
Firstphera.com
Business 2.0 « Business India 2.0: "Firstphera.com - Indian Online Wedding Site Creator Review!!!! Published September 28, 2007 Business 2.0 , Business India 2 Comments Tags: Alootechie, Firtphera.com, Matrimonial India, Shaadi India, Shaadi.com This morning when i got an invitation to review firstphera.com i was pretty surprised keeping in mind nor am i married(or plan to get married any soon) nor such a good blogger who people would send their site for review. But would thanks Vikas for sending me out invitation code as Rajesh @ Alootechie.net always tend to get one sent like 1 week prior to other bloggers.Anyway by the time i got down to writing it Rajesh had already made his post. Still here it goes. Firstphera.com is beginning of creation of digital services built around proven business model of online matrimonial classified listing. The site to attract visitor in its free service stage provide facility for couples to create online wedding site where they give handy tools which can be used to save the memories and share tasks. Example i live the RSVP thing or you may say guest list creator where both would be groom and bride can share guest lists etc. But the main service or functionality which site focuses lot is on Uploading pictures to share in website design format with people/friends. Though the site technology wise is good with nice use of AJAX and all w"
Redbus.in
Business 2.0 « Business India 2.0: "redBus is the first player in India to launch the concept of online bus tickets. Today, it is India’s largest such service with the highest number of routes (over 3200) and over 250+ bus operator partners. Consumers get some unparalleled benefits that are unique to redBus: - They can book return tickets - They can choose their seats - They can get tickets home delivery - They have access to the best-in-class bus operators - They can book tickets over the phone, through their mobile, on the net or in person at our partner outlets. Q2. Give some background on founders and their experience redBus was started by 3 friends from BIT"
RouteGuru.com - Do we just need directions?? « Business India 2.0
RouteGuru.com - Do we just need directions?? « Business India 2.0: "RouteGuru.com - Do we just need directions?? Published November 28, 2007 Startup , Technology , Travel 2.0 Tags: Delhi Startup, Directions India, mapmyindia, mapmyindia.com, routeguru, Routeguru.com, Routing India, Startup Location Based Services Couple of months ago when Delhi Police floated a tender requesting a GPS based police dispatch system what it was looking for is the first piece of puzzle which routeguru is providing. Routeguru.com looks like a rule based engine which gives directions based on either latitude longitude position mapped of interest points or localities with major roads flowing in delhi taken into consideration or something more innovative based on GPS mapping of city. The concept is good though mapmyindia.com with ability to map the route for me makes a better starting point when looking for direction. I understand the problem with sites like routeguru its difficult to map it on map due to non availability of digtal map companies like Teleatlas etc. Though google map will not be accurate they can surely give it a shot an act as an immediate product remedy to competition set in by mapmyindia.com. If these portals are able to get their routing engines right their is a bigger role to play in Location Based Services vertical especially with commonwealth"
Very Important Read !!! Read guys Read
http://ijsid.wordpress.com/2007/09/22/ticketproin-e-retailing-of-event-tickets-come-online/
You can't miss this. Event Ticket Selling has been a big business abroad where agencies like Ticketmaster has become billion dollar businesses specializing in selling Tickets for concerts to sports events. India which has recently seen increase in number of international artist coming in and with usage of credit card going high as a suitable destination for launching such convenience services.
Coming from delhi where generally most of the events are sold out due to sponsors generally taking the tab to entertain V.I.P’s finding even where the tickets are retailing is a big job in itself. While looking for tickets for the latest Akon Concert i bumped into ticketpro.in an online exclusive retailer for the event.
Ticketpro.in website is not really in line keeping in mind the new web 2.0 e-commerce b2c sites we see these days. Its pretty static with an integrated shopping cart. The site doesnt organize the information properly nor does have a great navigation forcing people to buy tickets online. Probably after going through about us section i realized that ticketpro is currently concentrating on selling event tickets why their partners more instead of online channel. Reliance Web World and Planet M leading the cart. What ticketpro.in is not realizing is the potential and power of internet to sell these events ticket combined with banner advertising on social networking sites. They can also look at something like an Facebook application which gives out details of latest concert and ask people to send out invites to other people in the group hence extending the commerce.
For now their is room in india for more organized ticket selling companies to come in but a concrete business model will require work to start now to be ready for big events boom in india starting from 2009Young men account for 33% of total internet users in India: Report : Alootechie
Young men account for 33% of total internet users in India: Report : Alootechie: "Young men account for 33% of total internet users in India: Report December 13, 2007 | News | Share This Internet continues to be male dominated with young men (in the age group of below 35 years who are not school or college student) accounting for 33 per cent and older men (aged between 35 and 58 years) accounting for 15 per cent of the total active internet users (32 million) in India, according to the I-Cube (Internet in India) 2007 report jointly undertaken by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International. The report also states that the overall demographic trend continues to favour the youth with college students (in the age group of 18-23) and school going kids (in the age group of 8-17) accounting for 21 per cent and 14 per cent of the total active internet users respectively. Working women (aged between 18 and 45 years and employed outside home) account for 11 per cent while housewives (below 45 years age) and non-working young women who are not school or college students account for 6 per cent of the total active internet users (defined as people who have logged into the Net at least once in a month) in the country."
People Interactive (Shaadi) wins Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Award : Alootechie
People Interactive (Shaadi) wins Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Award : Alootechie: "People Interactive (Shaadi) wins Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Award December 13, 2007 | News | Share This People Interactive, which owns Shaadi.com, Fropper.com, Astrolife.com and Makaan.com, has been named as one of Asia’s fastest growing companies in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Awards 2007. This is the second year in a row that the company has bagged the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Awards. Anupam Mittal, CMD, People Group, has said, “We are extremely honoured to have won the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Awards second year in a row. It reiterates the fact that at People Interactive, we are committed towards excellence, dedication, innovation and teamwork.” The Deloitte Technology 500 Fast Asia Pacific programme recognizes technology companies that have achieved the fastest rates of annual revenue growth in Asia Pacific during the past three years. This year the programme has recognised 82 companies from India including Directi, WITS Interactive, Cross-Tab Marketing Services, Liqvid eLearning Services, Evalueserve.com, 24×7 Learning Solutions, i-Vista Digital Solutions and MindTree Consulting, besides People Interactive."
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Ticketpro
Ticketpro: "Ticketpro India News “The several thousand tickets that were allocated for the web sale were grabbed in a record time of less then two (2) minutes! Never before has India seen such massive web transaction in such short time. The price of this overwhelming result has unfortunately been paid by those who logged-on a few seconds, minutes or hours too late; by then the event had already sold out! Ticketpro web shop and web sale engine was able to take much more traffic and process much more transactions then what was experienced yesterday! We will use more of this computing power for future events by increasing substantially the part of the inventory offered electronically to the fans. Yesterday Ticketpro India wrote history! Never before have Cricket tickets been dealt with as they were! Thanks to all of you, for having trusted us, Thanks to everyone who provided us with the opportunity, to take part in this exciting venture. Thanks, to the fans for making this event the greatest success of electronic ticketing in India to date!”"
Karnataka Cricket Association to sell tickets through internet : Alootechie
Karnataka Cricket Association to sell tickets through internet : Alootechie: "Karnataka Cricket Association to sell tickets through internet September 21, 2007 | News | Share This Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has unveiled online booking of tickets for the forthcoming one day international (ODI) between India and Australia, scheduled for September 29. The KSCA’s e-ticketing venture will be handled by Ticketpro India, a company that specialises in the sale of tickets through computers as well as live counters. According to the association, a small percentage of the 12000 seats for the public in higher denominations will be made available on internet. The sale of tickets will commence at Ticketpro.in on September 24. (Source: Hindu)"
Web aware marriage brokers !!! Wow
Ok http://www.matri4web.com/ is a product that allows marriage brokers to post profiles of their clients and send matches.
For example, there are brokers who fix matches in India for a comission.
"Sanjeev’s ambitions of getting a profitable business out of jeevansathi seems to far from realty. I don’t see any real differentiation for this product. Taking head on with bharathmatrimony and shaadi is not that easy in that segment. More than that, the regional portals and traditional brokers getting online quite rapidly with easy solutions like Matri4Web is really damping the chances of jeevansathi."
Info Edge eyes Rs 50-60 crore revenues from Jeevansathi and 99acres in 3 years : Alootechie: "Sanjeev’s ambitions of getting a profitable business out of jeevansathi seems to far from realty. I don’t see any real differentiation for this product. Taking head on with bharathmatrimony and shaadi is not that easy in that segment. More than that, the regional portals and traditional brokers getting online quite rapidly with easy solutions like Matri4Web is really damping the chances of jeevansathi."
For example, there are brokers who fix matches in India for a comission.
"Sanjeev’s ambitions of getting a profitable business out of jeevansathi seems to far from realty. I don’t see any real differentiation for this product. Taking head on with bharathmatrimony and shaadi is not that easy in that segment. More than that, the regional portals and traditional brokers getting online quite rapidly with easy solutions like Matri4Web is really damping the chances of jeevansathi."
Info Edge eyes Rs 50-60 crore revenues from Jeevansathi and 99acres in 3 years : Alootechie: "Sanjeev’s ambitions of getting a profitable business out of jeevansathi seems to far from realty. I don’t see any real differentiation for this product. Taking head on with bharathmatrimony and shaadi is not that easy in that segment. More than that, the regional portals and traditional brokers getting online quite rapidly with easy solutions like Matri4Web is really damping the chances of jeevansathi."
Yatra launches Affiliate Program for website publishers : Alootechie
More Partners
Yatra launches Affiliate Program for website publishers : Alootechie: "Yatra launches Affiliate Program for website publishers December 11, 2007 | News | Share This Travel portal Yatra.com has launched Yatra Affiliate Program that allows website publishers to generate revenue by promoting Yatra Online products and services on their websites. According to Yatra.com, the Yatra Affiliate partners can earn commissions for every booking originated from the affiliate’s site. The commission structure for domestic and international hotels and flight bookings are Rs 75 per booking for domestic flight, Rs 200 for domestic hotels, Rs 100 for international flights and Rs 200 for holiday packages. Dhruv Shringi, co-founder and CEO, Yatra.com, has said, “Yatra Affiliate program is an open business invitation to all the websites owner, an opportunity to diversify their services with our help to assist their customers with travel related queries and guidelines. This programme reiterates our continued commitment to introduce innovative ideas in the travel arena, making travel convenient.”"
Yatra launches Affiliate Program for website publishers : Alootechie: "Yatra launches Affiliate Program for website publishers December 11, 2007 | News | Share This Travel portal Yatra.com has launched Yatra Affiliate Program that allows website publishers to generate revenue by promoting Yatra Online products and services on their websites. According to Yatra.com, the Yatra Affiliate partners can earn commissions for every booking originated from the affiliate’s site. The commission structure for domestic and international hotels and flight bookings are Rs 75 per booking for domestic flight, Rs 200 for domestic hotels, Rs 100 for international flights and Rs 200 for holiday packages. Dhruv Shringi, co-founder and CEO, Yatra.com, has said, “Yatra Affiliate program is an open business invitation to all the websites owner, an opportunity to diversify their services with our help to assist their customers with travel related queries and guidelines. This programme reiterates our continued commitment to introduce innovative ideas in the travel arena, making travel convenient.”"
comScore: Naukri leads jobs sites, TimesJobs grows fastest : Alootechie
comScore: Naukri leads jobs sites, TimesJobs grows fastest : Alootechie: "comScore: Naukri leads jobs sites, TimesJobs grows fastest September 25, 2007 | News | Share This According to comScore, a leading internet research firm based in US, Naukri.com, with 3.4 million unique visitors in July 2007 (number of people who visited the site at least once a month), leads the jobs classified sites, followed by Monster.com with 2.6 million unique visitors, and TimesJobs.com with 1.8 million unique visitors. However, TimesJobs has grown by 38 per cent in the six-month period, February-July 2007, while Naukri grew by 20 per cent and Monster by 17 per cent. On the other hand, BharatMatrimony’s ClickJobs.com has declined by 12 per cent in the same period. The number of ClickJobs’ unique visitors declined from 687,000 in February to 604,000 in July. In the matrimonial category, Shaadi.com is the leader with 987,000 unique visitors in July, followed by Jeevansathi.com with 885,000 unique visitors, and BharatMatrimony.com with 791,000 unique visitors. However, Shaadi and BharatMatrimony have seen a decline in unique visitors by 8.7 per cent and 18.1 per cent respectively between February and July, whereas Jeevansathi’s unique visitors grew by 19.6 per cent. BharatMatrimony’s Indiaproperty.com leads the real estate classifieds "
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Potential Partner - MetroMela.com launched to help users find city-centric information : Alootechie
MetroMela.com launched to help users find city-centric information : Alootechie: "MetroMela.com launched to help users find city-centric information November 24, 2007 | News | Share This Hyderabad-based MetroMela Internet Services has launched MetroMela.com, a city-centric website that aims to help users find relevant local information, share reviews and get the ‘best deals running in town’. The website currently offers its services for users in seven cities — Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Mysore, Vizag and Cochin. MetroMela.com provides information across three sections – ‘Shopping, Food & Entertainment,’ ‘Health & Wellness’ and ‘Family & Kids’. “What we typically do is give out vendor listings (unlike Yellow Pages we list out selected vendors that we think would cater to the needs of our target audience) and write reviews on those vendors,” Barkha Shah, head of content, MetroMela, has said. Barkha Shah has added, “We also have city-centric informative write-ups that would help users to know how to organize a birthday bash for their kids, where to find Reiki practitioners in the city or which places are good as weekend getaways with families or for corporate outings. Apart from that, we collect deals, offers and discounts and aggregate it on the site.”"
IRCTC sells over 54,000 railway tickets online per day : Alootechie
IRCTC sells over 54,000 railway tickets online per day : Alootechie: "IRCTC sells over 54,000 railway tickets online per day November 24, 2007 | News | Share This IRCTC.co.in, Indian Railways’ online ticket booking site, on an average sells more than 54,000 tickets online per day, with the non-air condition travelling passengers accounting for 60 per cent of total reservations, according to Sanjay Aggarwal, general manager, operations, IRCTC. “The success achieved by us is merely through eight to ten per cent of the total Indian railways online. About 30 per cent of IRCTC’s business comes from the website which offers convenience to passengers by allowing them the option of booking without going through crowded reservation counters. In addition, to further extend the reach and acceptability of online bookings we have incorporated the use of cash cards to ensure no fraudulent dealings and we have 12,000 agents who account for 20 per cent of our business, and which have no chargebacks,” Sanjay Aggarwal has said. (Source: Express TravelWorld)"
VCs disappointed with opportunities available in Internet, Mobile VAS : Alootechie
VCs disappointed with opportunities available in Internet, Mobile VAS : Alootechie: "VCs disappointed with opportunities available in Internet, Mobile VAS September 3, 2007 | News | Share This According to Venture Intelligence, a research service focused on private equity and venture capital activity, internet and mobile VAS (value-added services) companies in India have accounted for only 13 per cent of the venture capital (VC) investments (by value) in the first eight months of 2007 as against 38 per cent during the same period in 2006. Avnish Bajaj, managing director, Matrix Partners, has said, “If I were to look back, and observe what has happened in the past one year, I think internet and mobile have been disappointing in terms of current opportunities. We still haven’t seen enough of promising, innovative, made-for-India kind of start-ups.” “Across the board, most VC funds have at least a couple of investments in the internet and mobile space. But the rate at which these investments have taken place has been slower than what everyone had made it out to be. It has not lived up to the hype or caught fire very quickly,” adds Ashish Gupta, MD, Helion Venture Partners."
HT buys DesiMartini for less than 10 million USD, The bubble Cometh? : Alootechie
HT buys DesiMartini for less than 10 million USD, The bubble Cometh? : Alootechie: "HT buys DesiMartini for less than 10 million USD, The bubble Cometh? November 21, 2007 | News | Share This Just woke up to this news, Firefly eVentures (The new, wholly owned Internet subsidiary of HT Media Ltd) has acquired social networking site Desimartini.com. Terms have not being disclosed, though HT Media has said it was for less than $10 million (Rs 39.3 crore). I am not trying to be nasty here, but IMHO 10 million USD is stretching it too far. But then if MingleBox can get funded for $7 million, maybe I should just shut up. Desimartini.com was founded by Vivek Pahwa and launched by Pahwa Knowledge Based Services late last year. DesiMartini claims it has a membership base of 250,000 and attracts around 2.5 million page views a month. “This acquisition in the social networking space is the first step towards expanding our Internet base. We are exploring other new online businesses such as gaming, e-commerce and classifieds,” said Amit Garg, business head, Internet, HT Media. He further added, “It may look like we are late in getting into the local social networking business, but the Internet business is still in infancy and not mature in India.”"
THE BUSINESSWORLDVENTURE INTELLIGENCE PRIVATE EQUITY SURVEY
http://www.businessworldindia.com/AUG1406/number.pdf THE BUSINESSWORLDVENTURE INTELLIGENCE PRIVATE EQUITY SURVEY, 2006, takes a comprehensive look at the significant investments, exits and other private equity activity in
Businessworld: The New World of Private Equity
Businessworld: The New World of Private Equity - COVER STORY 2006: "$2.3 billion. That’s the quantum of dollars private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) investors poured into India in 2005. And here’s an even better one — $4.4 billion — the windfall that has come India’s way from these investors in the three years between January 2003 and December 2005. These are just the investment numbers. The overall capital pool available for investment is also significant — investors raised or committed over $3 billion in 2005. In the first six months of 2006, investors have deployed over $3 billion in Indian companies. Experts estimate that by the end of the year, over $6 billion would be invested. In addition, new India-focused funds worth $2 billion are in the pipeline.
In June 2005, 20 per cent of the 545 investors interviewed in the survey plan to increase their global footprint significantly over the next five years. China and India emerged the top emerging PE market destinations in the survey.
The interesting point here is that US investors remain bullish on emerging markets despite returns at home being higher. For instance, according to a recent report by Knowledge@Wharton, the 10-year average PE returns in Europe and the US were 10.9 per cent and 13.8 per cent, respectively. By contrast, returns from emerging markets averaged 3 per cent. But investors reckon that these markets will improve going forward, primarily because of their high industry growth rates. On the other hand, because of the surplus of capital in markets like the US and Europe, and stiff competition among players for fewer deals, valuations are climbing. That makes higher rates of return difficult to achieve in the longer term.
So, has India arrived on the global private equity scene?
In terms of sheer numbers, no. India’s investment kitty is barely 6-7 per cent of the global pie. It is not even the biggest investment destination in the Asia Pacific — that position belongs to China, which has roped in over $6 billion in funding in the last three years. Also, while India has made some strides in the PE space, it still has a long way to go in venture capital.
Between 2003 and 2005, PE and VC firms invested $505 billion globally. Of this, VC firms accounted for roughly $100 billion.In June 2005, 20 per cent of the 545 investors interviewed in the survey plan to increase their global footprint significantly over the next five years. China and India emerged the top emerging PE market destinations in the survey.
The interesting point here is that US investors remain bullish on emerging markets despite returns at home being higher. For instance, according to a recent report by Knowledge@Wharton, the 10-year average PE returns in Europe and the US were 10.9 per cent and 13.8 per cent, respectively. By contrast, returns from emerging markets averaged 3 per cent. But investors reckon that these markets will improve going forward, primarily because of their high industry growth rates. On the other hand, because of the surplus of capital in markets like the US and Europe, and stiff competition among players for fewer deals, valuations are climbing. That makes higher rates of return difficult to achieve in the longer term.
As a consequence, in the last three years, China has seen as many as 40 US VC & PE firms enter the country. India has seen only 12 US VC firms, and mostly through indirect investments — most have first helped their portfolio companies set up back-end R&D operations here and then followed with direct investments. PE firms, on the other hand, have opted for a more direct approach — Carlyle, Blackstone, 3i Capital, General Atlantic and Temasek have set up local offices in India over the last three years. As a result, India today is seen more as a PE market while China is skewed towards VC activity.
While the comparisons with the US market may not be fair — India is an emerging market and the investment dynamics are different — it cannot be disputed that India’s PE industry will have to gradually assume the role that traditional investors play in mature markets: become an agent for transforming businesses. For that to happen, India also needs an equally vibrant VC community. After all, VC is a subset of PE — it creates the companies on which PE eventually places bigger bets. The good news: venture capital is now making a comeback into India.Businessworld : Number one Indian business portal with incisive analysis and surveys - Technology’s New Entrepreneurs
Businessworld : Number one Indian business portal with incisive analysis and surveys - Technology’s New Entrepreneurs: "That November mission has been followed by several more under the aegis of organisations like TiE and the Indian Venture Capital Association (IVCA). Today, almost every VC in the US wants an India presence. Again, there are two reasons for this. First, emerging economies like China and India are opening up as tech consumer markets. And like Silicon Valley, they too have the skill base to develop these technologies. The icing on the cake, as Binford says, is that the cost of developing new technology is 50 per cent less in these markets. That’s a big draw for VCs. After the Internet bust and the tech slowdown, exit valuations in the Valley have plummeted. In 1999-2000, if it cost $100 million to start a company, the return potential was $1 billion. Post-slowdown, the return potential dropped to $200 million. That meant VCs would have to start companies with $20 million-25 million to achieve exit multiples of nine or 10."
Businessworld : Number one Indian business portal with incisive analysis and surveys - Technology’s New Entrepreneurs
Businessworld : Number one Indian business portal with incisive analysis and surveys - Technology’s New Entrepreneurs:
Tucked away deep inside IIT Bombay’s soothing green campus is the SINE (Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), more endearingly called the ‘crèche’. Right now, a lot many eager ideas and hopes are being nurtured here, some of which provide a sense of urgency to the place. SINE is one of 20-odd incubators that are nurturing about 100 technology startups across India at present, and so far we’ve uncovered just a few inches of a rather interesting canvas.
Another estimated 1,400 startups are giving shape to ideas born inside R&D labs run by technology multinationals, management school classrooms, shop floors of Indian IT services giants and some transported all the way from Silicon Valley by returning Indian tech workers. We find them everywhere — Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Pune. The evidence suggests that something big and exciting is underway: India appears to be on the threshold of a technology entrepreneurship resurgence — one that in many respects is vastly different from its predecessor, the ill-fated ‘dotcom’ era.
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In Bangalore, 250 new startups have sprung up since January. TiE’s (The Indus Entrepreneurs’) Bangalore and Mumbai chapters have seen a spurt in attendance at their events. “Suddenly, we’re running out of seats. Six months ago, it was difficult to fill even 20,” says Sridhar Mitta, who heads TiE Bangalore. IIM Bangalore’s entrepreneur club has had similar experiences. “Membership has jumped significantly in the last 12 months,” says Kalyani Gandhi, head of the Nadathur S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL). IIT Madras is incubating six new startups. And back in Mumbai, SINE is incubating 16, the highest it has seen since 1999-2000.
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We also discover a heartening development — social networking among entrepreneurs, investors and customers, Silicon Valley style. BarCamps — a phenomenon that originated in Palo Alto, California, around mid-2005, to get techies to share ideas in an environment sans the strictures of a formal conference — now frequent most Indian metros (see ‘Raising The Bar’ on page 40). Business plan contests and mentoring camps have also taken off. This February, TiE and Menlo Park-based Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) hosted the India Venture Challenge, which saw 125 first-generation entrepreneurs participate. The $150,000 grand prize was split between Vegayan Systems (Mumbai) and NCE Technologies (Bangalore).
A second group of people has now joined the party: venture capitalists (VCs). Danish tech investor Morten Lund, who was one of the seed investors in Luxembourg-based Skype — the startup that turned the long-distance calling business on its head by developing an application that allowed PC-to-PC voice calls — is backing a $150-million Europe-India fund called Amaya Ventures. It will invest in early to growth stage tech companies. Next is Silicon Valley’s most successful VC in 2005 — DFJ founder Timothy C. Draper. He’s raising a $200-million India fund for tech startups. Boston-based Matrix Partners has just set up a $150-million India fund and Palo Alto-based Sutter Hill Ventures is a key sponsor of the $140-million Helion Ventures that debuted this August in Bangalore. Then come the Silicon Valley entrepreneur-investors. Kanwal Rekhi is raising a $150-million fund called Inventus, and Vinod Dham and Vani Kola are heading a $150-million US-India fund of New Enterprise Associates (NEA).
More than 44 US-based VCs are said to be lining up direct and indirect funds for India, says recent industry research. The money that is likely to come in is estimated at over $2 billion. A good part of this will be seed-to-early stage money. The actual investment numbers don’t as yet match the startup numbers. In 2005, VC and angel investors put in $115 million in 20 tech startups, says research firm Venture Intelligence. But there has been a gradual improvement. In 2004, investments were at $82 million in 13 companies. The first six months of 2006 have already seen 25 deals worth $78 million. The higher number of deals implies that VCs are doing more early-stage deals in the $250,000-$1 million bracket.
While the action seems to have hit fever pitch in the past nine months, the actual build-up is at least three years old. Since early 2003, three powerful forces have been working in parallel. First, changes in marketplace dynamics; second, shifts in global VC investment patterns; and third, the emergence of entrepreneurs who have the winning combination of patience and tenacity to go the distance. In the past nine months, these three forces have started converging rather swiftly. That has turned the buzz into a steady drone.
We’ll take a moment here to ask a question: Will the convergence that is underway put India on the map as the next big nerve centre for technology innovation, a la Silicon Valley?
Silicon Valley East
The answer to that question rests with two primary actors — the entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Not since the dotcom boom has India seen such a frenzy in terms of new companies being formed and greenbacks being lined up to fund them. In the past nine months alone, roughly 1,000 startups have sprung up across the country. Out of these, an estimated 50 have roped in funding of some sort. If you compare like to like, the numbers are nowhere close to those in the dotcom era — 5,000 startups roped in some $2.2 billion in funding between 1999 and early 2001. This is only the beginning of the differences between the two eras — a factor that could make all the difference to the fate of the current one.
Most folks who lived through the 1999-2001 era recall it with a degree of bitterness. But on the flip side, the bust was the best thing that happened to technology entrepreneurship in India. It laid the ground for the emergence of a more resilient bunch of entrepreneurs. And in the three-year nuclear winter that followed, some interesting business models have emerged around opportunities that had either taken a back seat or had not been explored at all due to the Internet hype.
This brings up the first big difference from the dotcom era. While that phase saw innovation mostly around one opportunity, the Internet, this time it is spread across six — consumer Internet, semiconductors, gaming and animation, wireless communication, SaaS (software-as-a-service), and telecom and software products. The diversity helps in a couple of ways. One, each segment is at a different stage of maturity and the business models are still being defined. That gives entrepreneurs more space to innovate. Take semiconductors — much of the work centres around back-end chip design. Example: the chip that runs Apple’s iPod was fine-tuned by Hyderabad-based Pinexe Systems. The chip itself was manufactured in Taiwan because India does not have a manufacturing base yet. Companies like inSilica and MosChip are betting on this space. Second, since some segments are more nascent than others, it lengthens the period of innovation, making this resurgence more sustainable. The odds for throwing up world-class technology leaders are, therefore, that much higher.
We picked three areas that already have the potential to produce winners — consumer Internet, wireless communications and SaaS. Over the past couple of years, these segments have experienced one big change — the emergence of a large and growing domestic market. Take the consumer Internet space. In the past six years, India’s Internet user base has jumped from 1 million to over 35 million on the back of increased broadband penetration and PC usage. In the near future, most Indians may access the Internet from their mobile phones. This implies a combined Internet user base of over 150 million. Service providers like Airtel and Hutch have started offering subscribers value-added services that enable even banking transactions on mobiles using the Internet.
VCs seek dot-com success stories in India
VCs seek dot-com success stories in India: "VCs seek dot-com success stories in India Manik Arora of Battery Ventures, the Silicon Valley-based VC that prefers to call itself a 'lead institutional investor in its portfolio companies,' spends a lot of time researching on Indian Internet ventures these days. Having tasted success in Battery Ventures' first investment in an Indian hi-tech venture in December 2004, Arora and his firm are 'particularly attracted to the Internet side' and plan to make its next investment in an internet venture this year. Sponsored Links (Ads by Google) How to Invest in India - We can show you where to invest. India is ready. A Free Report www.MoneyMorning.com/India_rpt Funding for New Start-Ups - Capital from accredited investors. Angel meetings monthly across USA. www.gatheringofangels.com Disappearing Dividends? - Learn How Smart Investors Quietly Earn Combined Yeilds Up to 45% Yr! MoneyAndMarkets.com Battery that has been making the bulk of its investments in the United States in its 22 year existence and shifted focus to Europe in the last decade and of late is now starting to explore Asia and India. 'And India is particularly appealing for a number of reasons, such as being forecasted to be the world's largest economy by mid-century, GDP growth of 8 percent, world-class companies and talent in offshore technology services,' Arora says. 'T"
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Blogging
http://in.news.yahoo.com/071117/48/6ndrl.html
Well, for those who prefer movies to stocks on a Sunday morning, Bollywoodbakwas.com is where you can find your kind of masala: juicy gossip and updates on Bollywood. The one-year-old Bollywood blog is one of the most visited blogs (around 2,500-3,000 hits daily, with around 500 people voting and companies placing advertisements fetching the blogger a few dollars) now. "Today, your blog, if packaged well, can make you earn a few hits, nice comments, advertisements and dollars, besides the usual recognition. All these when blogging is still a hobby," says blog guru Kiruba Shankar, CEO, Business Blogging Pvt Ltd.
There's much more that blogs talk about today. They are being used as online galleries by amateur painters, who send their paintings to those interested through a daily mailer. The blogs also let people bid for their paintings and invite sponsors. The same applies to music blogs, where one is allowed to listen to a tune or symphony and post comments. Internationally, companies track these blogs to find new talent. In India, however, they are just warming up to the concept. The usual hobby blogs, whether photography, creative writing, poetry, music, parenting, travel, painting, et al, are fetching the bloggers benefits they never imagined.
Though not getting the cash, software professional Maya Patel's travel blog has made her an achiever too. Today, when she googles her name, it leads her to the weekly section of a well-known Indian daily. "It is actually the interview I gave after the paper traced me through my blog. They were looking for details of some adventure sport I indulged in on my trip to Malaysia," she says.
The writing skills of US-based academician Pratik Mhatre (blog Nerve Endings Firing Away) have fetched him an offer to contribute to mainstream publications like Tehelka back home. Sound engineer and musician Nihit Gupta's entry on MySpace is more professional. Today, his regular uploads are helping him get better at his passion. He is getting to know more about electronic music and interacting with other musicians through it. "I don't care whether my section is checked by Indians, or whether I am successful in the country." Rather, it is the high of being part of the virtual, but serious group of electronic musicians that has helped him hone his skills better. "Today, the comments I get are serious. There are no frills," says the 29-year-old, very clear about the benefits blogging has brought him.
The same applies to Alok Shukla, a photo blogger settled in Dubai. Launching his blog last March, today his uploads have made him a seasoned shutterbug. Then there's the mother behind blogspot themadmomma. "Blogging is something that has originated from my love for parenting. I don't want a job to kill my interest. Today, I spend the time I want on the blog. I am my own boss," says the lady who has spurned offers to host parenting shows. Running a poetry blog, Alaka Yeravadekar, a cost accountant and writer based in Pune, has already acquired a set of fans. In terms of benefits, she looks forward to seeing her words in print in bookshops and in people' homes some day. "Otherwise, what is the measure of success for a poet or a writer? To be able to move, inspire others, bring joy, make them think, present a different view of the world. I think through my blog, I have done that," says the blogger.
Corporates too are logging onto blogs to recognize the best hands and minds. Sulekha.com, through its contest Blog Print this March helped bloggers with the opportunity of getting their works published in print. "We have successfully taken the contest to over six newspapers and magazines in the last six months, with each publication offering the blogger a platform to showcase one genre of his writing. The marquee project of all these is the one on Penguin books, where 25 of the best blogs on Sulekha will be published in a Penguin book and marketed and distributed across the world. Each winner gets a cash prize from Sulekha, apart from getting their writing published," says Satya Prabhakar, CEO, Sulekha.com.
Sachin Bhatia has something to share too. "We at MakeMyTrip spawned an online travel community, a non-commercial venture, called oktatabyebye.com that is a meeting ground for travel enthusiasts who want to share travel stories, pictures, reviews of destinations and hotels, etc. We launched the portal with India's first online reality show where one chosen person (among 10,000 applied!) was given Rs 50,000 to cover seven destinations in 15 days and blog the whole journey live," says the co-founder and CMO, oktatabyebye.com.
With companies passing on some benefits, blogger Amit Verma is gearing himself up for challenges. "My plan is to take the blogging technology to college students in small cities. I would also like to go against companies that have made blogging as earning machines or dating joints. Our team of techies are working on this and will come up with something interesting in March next year," he says.
With hobbies taking on a social slant, society too can expect to download some real benefits. Amen!
Well, for those who prefer movies to stocks on a Sunday morning, Bollywoodbakwas.com is where you can find your kind of masala: juicy gossip and updates on Bollywood. The one-year-old Bollywood blog is one of the most visited blogs (around 2,500-3,000 hits daily, with around 500 people voting and companies placing advertisements fetching the blogger a few dollars) now. "Today, your blog, if packaged well, can make you earn a few hits, nice comments, advertisements and dollars, besides the usual recognition. All these when blogging is still a hobby," says blog guru Kiruba Shankar, CEO, Business Blogging Pvt Ltd.
There's much more that blogs talk about today. They are being used as online galleries by amateur painters, who send their paintings to those interested through a daily mailer. The blogs also let people bid for their paintings and invite sponsors. The same applies to music blogs, where one is allowed to listen to a tune or symphony and post comments. Internationally, companies track these blogs to find new talent. In India, however, they are just warming up to the concept. The usual hobby blogs, whether photography, creative writing, poetry, music, parenting, travel, painting, et al, are fetching the bloggers benefits they never imagined.
Though not getting the cash, software professional Maya Patel's travel blog has made her an achiever too. Today, when she googles her name, it leads her to the weekly section of a well-known Indian daily. "It is actually the interview I gave after the paper traced me through my blog. They were looking for details of some adventure sport I indulged in on my trip to Malaysia," she says.
The writing skills of US-based academician Pratik Mhatre (blog Nerve Endings Firing Away) have fetched him an offer to contribute to mainstream publications like Tehelka back home. Sound engineer and musician Nihit Gupta's entry on MySpace is more professional. Today, his regular uploads are helping him get better at his passion. He is getting to know more about electronic music and interacting with other musicians through it. "I don't care whether my section is checked by Indians, or whether I am successful in the country." Rather, it is the high of being part of the virtual, but serious group of electronic musicians that has helped him hone his skills better. "Today, the comments I get are serious. There are no frills," says the 29-year-old, very clear about the benefits blogging has brought him.
The same applies to Alok Shukla, a photo blogger settled in Dubai. Launching his blog last March, today his uploads have made him a seasoned shutterbug. Then there's the mother behind blogspot themadmomma. "Blogging is something that has originated from my love for parenting. I don't want a job to kill my interest. Today, I spend the time I want on the blog. I am my own boss," says the lady who has spurned offers to host parenting shows. Running a poetry blog, Alaka Yeravadekar, a cost accountant and writer based in Pune, has already acquired a set of fans. In terms of benefits, she looks forward to seeing her words in print in bookshops and in people' homes some day. "Otherwise, what is the measure of success for a poet or a writer? To be able to move, inspire others, bring joy, make them think, present a different view of the world. I think through my blog, I have done that," says the blogger.
Corporates too are logging onto blogs to recognize the best hands and minds. Sulekha.com, through its contest Blog Print this March helped bloggers with the opportunity of getting their works published in print. "We have successfully taken the contest to over six newspapers and magazines in the last six months, with each publication offering the blogger a platform to showcase one genre of his writing. The marquee project of all these is the one on Penguin books, where 25 of the best blogs on Sulekha will be published in a Penguin book and marketed and distributed across the world. Each winner gets a cash prize from Sulekha, apart from getting their writing published," says Satya Prabhakar, CEO, Sulekha.com.
Sachin Bhatia has something to share too. "We at MakeMyTrip spawned an online travel community, a non-commercial venture, called oktatabyebye.com that is a meeting ground for travel enthusiasts who want to share travel stories, pictures, reviews of destinations and hotels, etc. We launched the portal with India's first online reality show where one chosen person (among 10,000 applied!) was given Rs 50,000 to cover seven destinations in 15 days and blog the whole journey live," says the co-founder and CMO, oktatabyebye.com.
With companies passing on some benefits, blogger Amit Verma is gearing himself up for challenges. "My plan is to take the blogging technology to college students in small cities. I would also like to go against companies that have made blogging as earning machines or dating joints. Our team of techies are working on this and will come up with something interesting in March next year," he says.
With hobbies taking on a social slant, society too can expect to download some real benefits. Amen!
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