Forum Moderators: open
The Google powered Indian SE is Sify [sify.search]. I haven't located an Inktomi one yet. Most of the search engines are quite confined to India sites. For example, in June we submitted a 20 page sub-directory to 25 Indian search engines and directories. It was about a famous Indian homeopathic doctor, his clinic in Bombay, and his coming US seminars. As far as I can see not one of the Indian SE's included it.
As an aside: to help in looking for data on India: two other traditional names for the subcontinent are Bharat and Hindustan.
From IndiaNet (March 21, 2000):
The Internet subscriber base will grow almost 100 percent during the year with the total number of users crossing the one million mark by 2000-end and 7.5 million by end 2003.
This above data is for individual subscribers. Because so many people share one user account, this article [indialine.com] (the first demographic study done of Internet use in India) claimed that there were 1 million users by early '99 and will be 4.5 million by the end of 2000.
In looking through various Indian search engines and directories, I've been amazed to find several who each claim to be the "oldest", the "first", and in one case the "only" search engine in India! Clearly, the English language is rather loosely played with, and I face a large cultural barrier to really understanding this market.
I'm going to chip away at it, one bit at a time, and post whatever I find that I can authenticate in some way. The sense I'm getting is that there is almost a taboo about hard data. Or maybe this is just the Indian version of "spin".
One impression -- the Indian internet user seems to really like Flash! The government ISP vsnl.net.in [vsnl.net.in] offers this choice of modes for navigating their site: "English, Hindi or Flash".
I have been able to get my sites listed in Rediff and Siffy.com. Khoj is a little slow but I am still chasing them. The sites they indexed for me are clearly based in U.S. I have one Indian site which Launched 6 weeks ago and today it got its first real traffic as Google indexed it in the last index. Havent submitted that to the Indian directories as I still have to complete one page on the site. Just not enough hours in the day. I have had great success in India and have developed a good alliance with one of the biggest ISP's in India and have great hopes for the future.As stated before, english is no sweat as the english is top notch, at least the people I am dealing with.
Dont understand what you mean about the "Hard data" Tedster. I like you am chipping away at the market and one day I hope it becomes a big chunk.
Here is link to some useful info on doing business in Asia including India.
[asiasource.org...]
This site seems to be a good way to keep up with growth and changes in the Indian Interent market.
redirects me to an Asia wide version...I suppose because I'm browsing from outside India...anyone know a way of getting the India version?
btw...a message to everyone who thinks that you can safely redirect based on IP location or language choice...I CENSORED hate you CENSORED ignorant CENSORED
Onya
Woz
