Icici Launches Cafemumbai City Portal

ICICI Ltd has launched the first of its series of city portals in Mumbai called cafemumbai.com.

This would be part of the institution's new retail strategy to increase customer base through the technology enabled distribution network. The new site is a horizontal portal which would provide information and value added services for the local populace of Mumbai.

According to Lalita Gupte, joint managing director of ICICI, this portal could act as a local day planner for all those residing in Mumbai. "Information on all city locations, schooling, shopping including the best bargains available in town and bookings in various theatres and restaurants would be made available on this site," she told Business Standard.

 

Cafemumbai offers information on a variety of local issues in Mumbai including that on weather, bus-routes, outbound travel schedules, essential services with an exhaustive and in depth search facility to assist Mumbaikars in day to day living. Cafemumbai has been designed to become the `home on the web' for each and every user related to Mumbai.

ICICI has also devised a revenue model for their new venture. Says Gupte, "It makes no sense to just have a dot com any more. Cafemumbai.com would be tying up with various theatres, restaurants, home delivery and shopping services to obtain revenues via this venture."

Hyperlinks have been provided to the other sites of ICICI which could give the customer a comprehensive over view of the subject. For example on property, ICICI has already launched a site, indiahomeseek.com, and for property specific needs in Mumbai customers would be given the link to this site from cafemumbai.com for further reference. The same would be provided in the case of shopping for which ICICI has already launched a site, magiccart.com.