Around the Net

India Mantra Is Local Search

Speaking of local search, look what's happening in India. Here, a Bangalore-based startup has launched a search engine for the city called askaila.com. It relies on an advanced algorithm to ferret out local information -- including ads! -- for every search under the sun. Search results include local contacts, reviews, and articles. There's also an option to short-text-message the info to your phone.

The co-founders of this goodie, Kiran Konduri and Shriram Adukoorie, are techies from the Indian outsourcing and software community. Expect this startup to scale quickly and possibly move to other cities. Konduri's first company was a huge success, selling for $40 million back before the dotcom bubble burst in 1999.

One limitation is the fledgling Internet ad market in India. It's only about $60 million now, a drop in the proverbial bucket compared to the U.S. But with ideas increasingly crossing borders, perhaps there's an opportunity for this startup to mine business in the U.S.

Read the whole story at Business Standard »

Next story loading loading..