Go4i In Talks For Marketing Pact With Channel V

The Hindustan Times and Chase Partners-promoted go4i.com India Pvt Ltd is close to clinching a marketing alliance with Channel V. This is one of the many similar alliances that go4i.com is looking at forging in the near future in a bid to exploit the various marketing opportunities.

According to a top source in go4i.com India Ltd, "We are not only close to signing up with Channel V, but have plans to do a string of similar deals with other channels and organisations. It will be standard feature of go4i.com."

Simultaneously, the process of seeking government permission for go4i.com's investment to be made in HDFC Securities, a financial services portal, has also been set in motion.

 

What will the Channel V deal get for go4i.com, a horizontal portal which proposes to have at least half a dozen vertical portals under it? There will be promotions of Channel V programmes and exploiting VJ opportunities on go4i.com, while Channel V contests, etc will also be promoted in The Hindustan Times' city-specific supplement, HT City.

The main/parent Go4i.com Ltd is Bermuda-based in which HT and Chase capital partners hold 37 per cent stake each, while HDFC and HDFC Bank each hold 4 per cent. This entity holds a 100 per cent stake in a company in Cayman Islands. This Cayman-based entity holds and will be holding stakes in 4 companies registered in Mauritius: 100 per cent in the main Go4i portal, 51 per cent in the Careers portal (with 49 per cent Stanton Chase), 51 per cent in the Ticketing portal (49 per cent with an Indian company, Big Tree) and 15 per cent in the Securities portal (with 70 per cent HDFC & HDFC Bank, 15 per cent Chase partners)

The go4i.com source said the reason behind such complex structuring is that the management gets the option of listing the various portal-companies at domestic stock exchanges and those abroad separately if need be.

The Indian entity has also initiated talks with several Internet service providers and telecom companies for providing content using various media, including wireless access protocol technology on a revenue-sharing basis.

There is also a proposal to spin off each of the joint venture verticals into separate companies.