BUSINESS: Google gets Delhi’s iconic Chandni Chowk market online

People make their way through the streets of Chandni Chowk market in Old Delhi in this file photo. Dan Istitene/Getty Images

The project is part of Google’s initiative to offer free websites and domains to small and medium businesses in India through the ‘India Get Your Business Online’ campaign launched a year ago. As part of this special project, Google India and HostGator went to each shop in Chandni Chowk and built over 2,500 free websites for businesses operating from the market.

In addition to creating these websites for businesses, Google India also launched a common website www.chandnichowknowonline.in, which provides an easy to navigate directory of all businesses from Chandni Chowk that now have a website.

“The Internet is becoming an engine of economic growth and is expected to contribute over US $ 100 billion by 2015 to India’s GDP. Due to initiatives such as these, small and medium businesses are embracing the Internet to increase their competitiveness in the global economy,” said Union Minister of Communications and IT and Chandni Chowk MP, Kapil Sibal, while launching the initiative.

“This initiative from Google has provided all Chandni Chowk businesses with a professional website, which will now make it easier for customers to find us online and help us to grow our businesses,” said Pradeep Jain, spokesperson of the Kinari Bazaar Gota Zari Association of Chandni Chowk.

“With over 137 million Internet users in the country, the Internet is taking off in India and more and more users are looking for local information online, and efforts like these will go a long way in helping small and medium businesses get started on the Internet and gain from the Internet economy in the next few years,” said Rajan Anandan, Vice President and Managing Director, Sales & Operations, Google India.