It’s a message we’ve reiterated on this newsfeed many times, but big internet businesses are increasingly looking to India for growth. There are a few reasons for this: first, India, like China, is a massive market with a population that numbers above a billion. Also, like China, it’s undergoing a rapid economic transformation. But, unlike its emerging market peer, India is still more-or-less at the start of that journey, meaning there’s more potential growth there. And, of course, India doesn’t have China’s often-draconian censorship laws creating a digital barrier for business. Now, web-hosting giant GoDaddy is making a concerted push into the market.
GoDaddy’s share price has risen by 14% so far this year
Source: Yahoo Finance
The company’s “online starter bundle” – an all-in-one internet package aimed at getting small business owners online relatively cheaply – is GoDaddy’s latest attempt to capture market share. It could prove very attractive in a country that has been quick to adopt ecommerce, where business owners don’t have lots of spare cash to spend. The bundle includes an India-specific domain name, a one-page website, and a secure and professional email address. GoDaddy says it costs less than Rs 3 per day.
The company’s vice president and managing director for India, Nikhil Arora, said: “We, at GoDaddy, are continually working towards driving innovation to help empower India’s dynamic and rapidly growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. We believe India thrives when small and medium entrepreneurial ventures succeed. The GoDaddy Online Starter Bundle includes all essential tools that a business needs to present a professional brand to the online world. Our aim is to help ensure more online adoption among Indian businesses, by giving them easy-to-use and affordable products to turn their dreams into reality online.”
Disclosure
Dominion holds GoDaddy in its Global Trends Ecommerce Fund.
Author: Theo Leworthy
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