Yahoo!, ZDnet To Launch India-Specific Sites
By Uday Lal Pai
India Correspondent, asia.internet.com
[December 15, 1999--MUMBAI] ZDnet is set to launch its Indian portal by January 2000.
Yahoo! Inc, on the other hand, is looking at an Internet guide rather than a full-fledged integrated portal for India.
ZDnet, the technology news-based website of Ziff Davis, is also in the final stages of negotiations with various Indian newspapers and technical business magazines for possible news-sharing arrangements.
The portal will provide India-specific tech news on a daily basis. However, the major focus will be on Internet content and commerce. The ZDnet office will be set up in Mumbai.
Arthur Chang, business development manager for ZDnet, said that the company plans to make significant investments towards strengthening its Indian operations, and is also setting up an Indian server. ZDnet also plans a high profile advertisement campaign aimed at building brand equity.
Chang said ZDnet was currently evaluating the Indian market and was optimistic about its Indian operations.
Meanwhile Yahoo!, as a start-up property in Indian subcontinent, is formulating an Internet guide. The project should be roughly similar to Yahoo! China, which was launched in September this year.
According to analysts, the complexities of the Indian market, with its disparate linguistic regions and the need to build up strategic partnerships, may have prompted Yahoo to implement their India strategy in stages. |
