New Zealanders could have the benefit of easy and comprehensive access of information relating to the Central and local Governments, contact details of ministers and officials, latest news and postings as an Indian website promoter extends his services to this country.
Ameya Sathaye, owner and Chief Executive of the Delhi based Sarkaritel.com was in New Zealand recently as a guest of Vijay Goel, Director of Johnny, Duncan & Wells Limited (Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors) to explore such a possibility.
He is confident that the service would general market demand and attract advertisers’ attention for sustenance.
Supporting strength
“Sarkaritel.com currently has more than 300,000 unique visitors and about 800,000 views per month accessed from 155 countries. Sarkaritel.com is well indexed on Google, Yahoo! and other important search engines and supported by the Indian Government and public sector companies,” he said.
According to him, the website provides a platform to reach wider audience and is also available for advertisers.
Although its name means ‘Government Telecommunications,’ Sarkaritel.com is a privately owned venture. Since its establishment in 2001, it has grown from a simple directory service to be a major source of contacts, news, analysis, and evolving stories in India.
From ministers of the Central Government to councillors of a small town, an increasing number of people in the country depend on this website for authentic and accurate information.
Reliable service
“While India is a major call centre for accessing telephone contacts and information on yellow pages, Indians living in India consider Sarkaritel.com as a more reliable and constantly updated facility, which provides data at the touch of a button. We are continuously trying to make it more useful,” Mr Sathaye said.
The website is a bridge between common people and the Federal, State and Local Governments, thus reducing the information gap. It also contains information about India’s embassies, high commissions and consular offices abroad, foreign diplomatic missions in India and details of international organisations based in India, he added.
Expanding scope
The growing popularity of Sarkaritel.com prompted Mr Sathaye to expand the scope and content of services offered to regular and causal visitors.
“The website has a media update service, which focuses on the energy sector. SMS messages and newsletters are sent six days a week to registered users. Currently no registration is required to visit the website,” he said.
Like all other free-to-view websites, Sarkaritel.com relies on advertising for revenue. The tariff is based on contents and positioning, he said.
Global presence
His vision is to gain global presence through a well-structured and planned process. The first phase of worldwide expansion may concentrate on information about each country, its political, social, commercial and other aspects, relationship with India and current affairs.
“We will launch the section with a page on New Zealand and then focus on Australia and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region. We will begin coverage of other countries later. Mr Goel is advising us on taking this information portal to the next stage, making it a hub in line with our vision,” he said.
