Yahoo! India goes desi, to adopt nine local languages

To better cater to consumers and enhance their web experience, Yahoo! is localising to cater to country-specific needs. Yahoo! Mail Classic users now have the option write and read e-mail in Hindi, and can now experience a completely Hindi interface.

Yahoo! Mail in Hindi will have information similar to the English version, with the local Hindi language giving email a distinctly local touch.

John Kremer, vice president, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Inc., in a release to the media, said, "We have always been focused on making it easy for people to connect to those who matter most to them. Now, with Yahoo! Mail Classic, we''re creating a more local e-mail experience. In addition, we wanted to make sure that people have the best possible web mail experience, regardless of their geographic location, preferences or system. Our product and engineering teams in India have played a crucial role in this localisation."

According to Pranesh Anthapur, chief administrative officer, Yahoo! India, innovation is a key driver at Yahoo! for product development. He adds that Yahoo! Mail in Hindi is relevant to 200 million Indians who are expected to come online within the next few years, and will also be attractive to a large section of Yahoo!''s advertisers, who want to reach out to the non - English speaking Indian population."

The company''s popular instant messaging platform, Yahoo! Messenger, has introduced a new web-based version, which does not need any downloads, and allows users to access instant message (IM) from anywhere, be it offices, Internet cafés, schools, or airports, from any Internet-enabled computer. Yahoo! Says that the service is ideal for travellers who are on the move, and office workers with firewall constraints.

Possibly the biggest value-add is that the version will allow users to chat in nine Indian languages, including Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Gujarati. Users can switch between these languages and English, seamlessly.

This localisation of the Yahoo! India portal will, according to the company, revolutionise user experience and invite more users to access information on a daily basis for news, reviews and events happening around them.

Yahoo! India''s diverse content offering to its Hindi language users include:
" The latest News in different categories
" Daily Horoscopes & Astrology - find out what your favourite celebrities'' stars foretell and find a dedicated section on Vastu for a better living
" Extensive cookery section - an exciting journey for the gourmet with recipes covering Continental, Indian, Regional, Sweets and Fast Food
" Health & Wellness sections covering Therapies, Health Issues and News
" Infortainment - latest Bollywood and region specific News, Previews, Reviews and, for the couch potatoes, daily TV schedules