GoDaddy bets on regional languages for India growth

US-based web hosting firm GoDaddy today said it will make its services available in three Indian languages -- Hindi, Marathi and Tamil -- to enable over 31 million small businesses (SMBs) to build their online presence.
The NYSE-listed firm currently offers internet domain registration and web hosting services in the country in English.
"India has 22 official languages and over 1,500 dialects. So, local languages certainly play a significant role," GoDaddy India and Australia Vice President and Managing Director Rajiv Sodhi told PTI.
The next wave of growth in internet usage is expected to come from tier II and III towns and with that millions of small businesses will also come online and leverage technology to drive business growth, he added.

"Our strategy is led by a vision to develop and rollout localised language offerings which mirror India's Internet growth. We will be able to reach out to about 61 per cent of SMBs in India by offering support in these three languages," he said.
India is the world's second-largest internet market and is also home to the second-largest SMB base globally, with over 51 million businesses.

According to data from Target Group Index (TGI), 73 per cent of those SMBs are located in tier II and III cities.
Sodhi said this focus on offering products and services in regional languages also gains significance as a bulk of the new users are coming from regional locations that are also hotbeds of SMB and entrepreneurial activity in the country.

"We are starting with Hindi, Marathi and Tamil. GoDaddy SMB products, its website, marketing and customer support will be available in these three languages to help empower the 88 per cent of India's population which is not conversant in English," he said.
"The growth of India's internet and initiatives such as
Digital India are intrinsically linked to millions of small businesses coming online and leveraging technology to drive business growth.
In a country, where 22 languages are recognized and more than 1500 dialects spoken, local languages play a significant role. I am happy to learn that GoDaddy, a leader in the domains and hosting industry is taking the lead to launch its products and services in multiple Indian languages. This will go a long way in helping bring India's SME and their businesses online," said Rajiv Bansal, CEO, NIXI.

"GoDaddy is committed to helping small businesses grow and in helping eliminate barriers that prevent them from getting online. By localizing customer touchpoints, including our website,customer care, marketing and products, GoDaddy is focusing on being closer to its customers," said Rajiv Sodhi, Vice President and Managing Director, GoDaddy India and Australia.
For most of these businesses, building a digital presence
can be seen as complex and intimidating, and since a majority are non-English speaking, their ambitions of having an effective online presence may seem perceptibly beyond their reach. GoDaddy's customer touchpoints now available in Hindi, Marathi and Tamil, can go

a long way in helping India's SMBs overcome language barriers and go online with ease.
A significant aspect of GoDaddy's regionalized offering is a highly localized, integrated and multi-lingual marketing campaign. Along with digital advertising, the campaign features a new television commercial in Hindi, Marathi and Tamil showcasing the journey of a traditional small business owner woven around the classic and symbolic song 'Nanha Munna Rahi Hoon' to inspire India's budding entrepreneurs to dream and follow their ambitions. GoDaddy's marketing in local languages aims to educate scores of SMBs and entrepreneurs in India about the benefits of having a compelling online presence and what it can do for their businesses.

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz. U.S.A., GoDaddy also has offices across other locations including in Washington, Massachusetts, Iowa and California in the U.S., and international locations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore and in the U.K.