In search of consumers who, among other things, want to buy a used motorcycle in Ahmedabad, rent a furnished flat in New Delhi or find a date in Goa, Indian entrepreneurs have been capitalizing on Craigslist, an Internet classified advertising website, to target expatriates living in India. In recent months, the number of people posting and replying to ads in India has soared, according to Craigslist chief executive officer Jim Buckmaster.
There are more than five million page views and approximately 12, new classified ads listed per month, he said. In a country where social networking sites are drawing huge numbers of new Indian members, few sites have targeted Westerners as effectively as Craigslist.
Bangalore was the first Indian city on Craigslist in January and is the busiest with almost 2 million page views per month. New Delhi and Mumbai are the next busiest and both started in mid Worldwide, the site receives more than eight billion page views a month and Craigslist users self-publish more than 20 million new classified ads each month, according to its website.
In much of the West, Craigslist has become the first place many young people in big cities look for apartments and job listings. The site spread across the US before expanding globally in It now covers more than 50 nations and cities. Aggarwal started posting ads on the site four months ago when a client of his from Santa Barbara, California, mentioned the popularity of the site. On his webvertisement, Aggarwal lists amenities he said expatriates are looking for: Wi-Fi, satellite television and western-style toilets and showers, shopping areas, and ATMs in close proximity.
Another innovative use the site has been put into, is to find trainers for call centres. While most personal ads are posted by Western men seeking Indian women, Indians are also using Craigslist to find dates with Westerners. One man from Mumbai is looking for a Western companion, with stated intentions of sharing a cup of tea.
