Tremendous growth in the Internet in India

[blastfromthepast]

'There will be tremendous growth in the Internet in India'

March 08, 2006

Sabeer Bhatia says he has been "a lifetime entrepreneur." It's hard to disagree. After all, not many would have opted to continue after an overwhelming success like Hotmail, but he simply hasn't stopped.

After Hotmail came Arzoo! Inc, which shut down, followed by projects like Navin, a travel web site, and his latest, BlogEverywhere (http://BlogEverywhere.com/). For the moment, however, Bhatia is in Mumbai to launch VoiFi -– a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software that combines technologies such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) to give users everything from Internet telephony and conferencing, to instant messaging and even games like Teen Patti.

Assuming boom and bust cycles occur every five years or so, are you worried about investing in an online firm?

Absolutely not. It's not about riding a wave, it's about providing a valuable service to your end customers, and to offer them so much value that they stick with you through lean times. But, given the way the world is moving, we can safely predict that there is going to be tremendous growth in the adoption of the Internet in India. Prices of PCs are going to fall, and there will be better penetration of broadband. These trends are very global and they are very positive.

What is it about the Internet that has always made you want to work with the medium in some manner?

That's a very good question. If you solve a problem for two people on the Internet, you solve a problem for a billion, potentially. That is the beauty of the Internet. Everybody connects through the same browser interface and gets information from different sources. So, if you solve a problem or provide a useful service or useful piece of software for even two people or a group, you could potentially be doing this for a billion people. That is an instant market of a billion people. Where else in the world can any individual make such a difference?

http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/mar/08binter1.htm

Other articles:

Rafat Ali: Numbers are beginning to favour India (http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/jan/12binter.htm)

Leonard Brody: 'India most important online market' (http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/feb/15binter.htm)

[IDN.TV]

'There will be tremendous growth in the Internet in India'

March 08, 2006

Sabeer Bhatia says he has been "a lifetime entrepreneur." It's hard to disagree. After all, not many would have opted to continue after an overwhelming success like Hotmail, but he simply hasn't stopped.

After Hotmail came Arzoo! Inc, which shut down, followed by projects like Navin, a travel web site, and his latest, BlogEverywhere (http://BlogEverywhere.com/). For the moment, however, Bhatia is in Mumbai to launch VoiFi -– a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software that combines technologies such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) to give users everything from Internet telephony and conferencing, to instant messaging and even games like Teen Patti.

Assuming boom and bust cycles occur every five years or so, are you worried about investing in an online firm?

Absolutely not. It's not about riding a wave, it's about providing a valuable service to your end customers, and to offer them so much value that they stick with you through lean times. But, given the way the world is moving, we can safely predict that there is going to be tremendous growth in the adoption of the Internet in India. Prices of PCs are going to fall, and there will be better penetration of broadband. These trends are very global and they are very positive.

What is it about the Internet that has always made you want to work with the medium in some manner?

That's a very good question. If you solve a problem for two people on the Internet, you solve a problem for a billion, potentially. That is the beauty of the Internet. Everybody connects through the same browser interface and gets information from different sources. So, if you solve a problem or provide a useful service or useful piece of software for even two people or a group, you could potentially be doing this for a billion people. That is an instant market of a billion people. Where else in the world can any individual make such a difference?

http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/mar/08binter1.htm

Other articles:

Rafat Ali: Numbers are beginning to favour India (http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/jan/12binter.htm)

Leonard Brody: 'India most important online market' (http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/feb/15binter.htm)

Thats good news blast, I am big fan of Sabeer Bhatia, as he has been my college senior

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BITS_Pilani

[drbiohealth]

Thanks Dan!

This says it all.


Can the Internet make a real difference without technology in local Indian languages?

No, and that's the biggest hurdle or the area of most opportunity, depending on how you look at it. Again, it is not a niche market in India. That's where a lot of companies and investors trip up.

Twenty-five million people speaking the same language -- and that's a small regional language -- is not a niche. It is a mass market.

The companies don't have to wait for the government to do anything about it, because it won't. That's where small software companies and start-ups can come in and help develop the market.



http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/jan/12binter.htm

Good to see that my school shared similar "motto": Gyanam Parmam Dhyeyam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IIT_Mumbai

Cheers!


Thats good news blast, I am big fan of Sabeer Bhatia, as he has been my college senior

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BITS_Pilani

[alpha]

Calling all Indian IDN holders:

lets see some cheapo $50 auctions to stir up the market - it seems to me that the holding of Indian names is disproportionate. ie. few people hold many. and many people hold none.

[Rubber Duck]

Calling all Indian IDN holders:

lets see some cheapo $50 auctions to stir up the market - it seems to me that the holding of Indian names is disproportionate. ie. few people hold many. and many people hold none.

I am not sure how many are registered but even in Hindi, I would guess that there are not that many registered, possible only a thousand or two, but I am just guessing. I would think there is still huge opportunity to new register domains. The problem lies with the language resources and the analysis tools. I personally think that thing holding up the market here is information rather the market being log-jammed by speculation.

[alpha]

I am not sure how many are registered but even in Hindi, I would guess that there are not that many registered, possible only a thousand or two, but I am just guessing. I would think there is still huge opportunity to new register domains. The problem lies with the language resources and the analysis tools. I personally think that thing holding up the market here is information rather the market being log-jammed by speculation.

well that to me just sounds like an opportunity. There must be a Hindi speaking person on the forum, willing to register good names at $7 a go, and knock them out in auction from $50..

[blastfromthepast]

well that to me just sounds like an opportunity. There must be a Hindi speaking person on the forum, willing to register good names at $7 a go, and knock them out in auction from $50..

Well, rupees went for $50 a short while ago. I believe that was the first one word Hindi IDN after Duck's single letters. I think you have it wrong though. A native speaker is less likely to sell his domains, since he can develop them them easier and there is more emotional attachment. Native speakers also tend to go for the better quality names, and there are lots, and that makes it less likely that they will be sold.

Are you ready for Oriya IDNs? I've got a list...

[alpha]

Well, rupees went for $50 a short while ago. I believe that was the first one word Hindi IDN after Duck's single letters.


well, as I said, this doesn't sound like a problem, it sounds like an opportunity:

an opportunity for someone to kick start the market, and make some quick bucks.

If there's that few registered already, then theres not even a risk that the Hindi person would be giving stuff away that they'd rather keep - there will just be too many available for one person to keep themselves.

ps. RD, have you got any more single char's left btw?

[Rubber Duck]

well that to me just sounds like an opportunity. There must be a Hindi speaking person on the forum, willing to register good names at $7 a go, and knock them out in auction from $50..

I think if you could persuade one or two of the most knowledgeable on Hindi to give you a names list, it would be well worth paying for. It should also be fairly easy money for them as well.

The main online resource is:

http://www.shabdkosh.com/

The problem is knowing what you have got. If, however, you register any result from you searches with a score of 10K or more, avoiding short words which might just be grammatical adjuncts, then you probably wouldn't go too far wrong.

I always find it useful to search on a combination of your result with the word you think it means in English. If you get substantial returns, it is likely that they can be equated.

[blastfromthepast]

http://www.shabdkosh.com/

That's the one that gave the the adult words later said to be too formal for use. I don't trust it.

[Rubber Duck]

well, as I said, this doesn't sound like a problem, it sounds like an opportunity:

an opportunity for someone to kick start the market, and make some quick bucks.

If there's that few registered already, then theres not even a risk that the Hindi person would be giving stuff away that they'd rather keep - there will just be too many available for one person to keep themselves.

ps. RD, have you got any more single char's left btw?

Yes, I dropped a few last year, and sold some earlier this year.

There are a lot more Davengari characters than there are Latin characters for the simple reason is that each character represents a constanant-vowel combination. Some of them are not greatly used and hence are not potentially as valuable.

Might be worth look up Davengari Alphabet at Wikipedia and just checking to make sure that there is nothing available that you are interested in.

[alpha]

...I think if you could persuade one or two of the most knowledgeable on Hindi to give you a names list, it would be well worth paying for. It should also be fairly easy money for them as well...

this is great, and thanks for the tip - but while it may help me out, it doesnt kick start the market in general.

I still think someone needs to step up

[Rubber Duck]

this is great, and thanks for the tip - but while it may help me out, it doesnt kick start the market in general.

I still think someone needs to step up

I am not convinced that the secondary market will kick-start until most of the premium names have been mopped up. People will naturally wish to pick up new regges where possible. Only those with greater vision and deeper pockets get interested in the secondary market earlier on.

Another resource you might try in DMOZ which now supports local characters for

Hindi
Gujarati
Kannada
Marathi
Tamil

also

Farsi
Thai

http://dmoz.org/World/

Edwin made great use of DMOZ and other directories establishing his Japanese Empire.

That's the one that gave the the adult words later said to be too formal for use. I don't trust it.

Yes, it has given me a few bum stears, but what can you do? If you are in early and 50% of them are wrong, then you are probably ahead. At least now Google gives a reasonable indication of what might be right.

[drbiohealth]

Dave, Ms Snow et al look active on hindi domains lately. So, I am not sure if its only a couple of thousands ;)

I am not sure how many are registered but even in Hindi, I would guess that there are not that many registered, possible only a thousand or two, but I am just guessing. I would think there is still huge opportunity to new register domains. The problem lies with the language resources and the analysis tools. I personally think that thing holding up the market here is information rather the market being log-jammed by speculation.

[Rubber Duck]

Dave, Ms Snow et al look active on hindi domains lately. So, I am not sure if its only a couple of thousands ;)

Well everyone has had their chances here. I have ranted about this for long enough. If it is tears at bedtime, then it not my fault. This MS Snow, do we know him from anywhere else? Never mind sounds like we will read about him in Forbes later.

[alpha]

Well everyone has had their chances here. I have ranted about this for long enough. If it is tears at bedtime, then it not my fault. This MS Snow, do we know him from anywhere else? Never mind sounds like we will read about him in Forbes later.

well I listened (kind off) - I have about 40 Hindi, most of them in .net form as carbon copies of your biggest .com's - but I know you don't mind :)

I have no shame

[Rubber Duck]

well I listened (kind off) - I have about 40 Hindi, most of them in .net form as carbon copies of your biggest .com's - but I know you don't mind :)

I have no shame

I get annoyed when people are pretending to buy, but are really on fishing, as it wastes my time. Otherwise, the only deteminant of whether a domain can be registered or not is whether it already has been. If I am daft enough to blow the gaff on my best ideas, then why shouldn't you capitalise. If you don't someone else will!

[alpha]

I get annoyed when people are pretending to buy, but are really on fishing, as it wastes my time. Otherwise, the only deteminant of whether a domain can be registered or not is whether it already has been. If I am daft enough to blow the gaff on my best ideas, then why shouldn't you capitalise. If you don't someone else will!

and so you should, nobody likes to endure a time-waster. But i do hope you are not putting me in that camp. We do a lot of business together.

You just need to be mindful of what lists you distribute to whom - as I'm sure you are.

[drbiohealth]

Misses L Snow...does that ring bells :)

This MS Snow, do we know him from anywhere else? Never mind sounds like we will read about him in Forbes later.

[Rubber Duck]

Misses L Snow...does that ring bells :)

Yes, double checking one of the telephone ones she has been in Hindi from day one. I remember see her name a lot, I think probably in Arabic as well!

[mulligan]

Ms Snow has faith thats for sure! That name has been reged for 6 years.

[Rubber Duck]

and so you should, nobody likes to endure a time-waster. But i do hope you are not putting me in that camp. We do a lot of business together.

You just need to be mindful of what lists you distribute to whom - as I'm sure you are.

No, sorry if there is a misunderstanding here. What I was trying to say that pretending to be a buyer just in order to extract registration ideas is not acceptable, but this rarely occurs in reality, as I specificially avoid wasting too much time with unknown quantities.

Buyers, who are trying to find out more about what you have to offer with a serious intention to buy, even though they do not ultimately do so, is perfectly normal and very acceptable. You don't walk into a shop if you think that infers an obligation to purchase, but also you cannot expect an antiques dealer to provide you with provinence of his entire stock, especially if you have no known history as a serious trader.

[alpha]

Ms Snow has faith thats for sure! That name has been reged for 6 years.

maybe I'm just thinking too hard about this, but I can't help thinking that Ms L Snow is one of those word puzzles, a cover for someone on this forum...

[mulligan]

maybe I'm just thinking too hard about this, but I can't help thinking that Ms L Snow is one of those word puzzles, a cover for someone on this forum...

You are thinking too hard, Ms Snow is an actual person. Amazing what you can find out with 5 mins of digging!
She is a respectable member of her community

[Rubber Duck]

Deleted

[alpha]

You are thinking too hard, Ms Snow is an actual person. Amazing what you can find out with 5 mins of digging!
She is a respectable member of her community

really? i much prefer the conspiracy theory

[Rubber Duck]

really? i much prefer the conspiracy theory

Yes, but it doesn't mean she is not here watching your every move!

[mulligan]

Yes, but it doesn't mean she is not here watching your every move!

Thats not her. And, its more likely to be her husband watching if anybody.