The plan: Use the Internet for what it was meant to be – a font of information – and actually earn
money off it. The entrepreneur: Web publisher Dr Thukral. The site: Indiastat.com.
What it does is pool together exhaustive information – that, according to Thukral, goes beyond one
million Web pages and over 50 million web links -- on any subject under the sun. Be it the
production of eggs in India from 1950-2000, to the fact that 31.7 per cent of all deaths take place on
Indian roads, you want it, it’s probably here.
Did you know, for example, that Rs 487 lakh have been given by the Andhra Pradesh Government to
NGOs, or that the most literate state in India is not Kerala but Mizoram? Want the number of
income tax payers in India? Number of lions in Gujarat? Or the number of HIV infected people in
Maharashtra? Log on.
The beginnings of this impressive feat were small. Says Thukral, a statistician and writer of a
number of books, “My first statistical collection was the ‘UP Statistical Calendar’ in 1990-91 which
led to my association with the Jagran Group in Kanpur in 1996. This lead to my starting and
heading the Jagran Research Centre where I published UP at a glance’, ‘India at a glance’ and a
series of other statistical publications for all major Indian states.”
Inhibited by the print medium and its limitations, Thukral’s contact with the Internet and Madan
Bahal, partner of Adfactors Advertising in Mumbai, made him decide to explore its potential. That’s
when he thought of putting all socio-economic statistical information about India under major heads,
on one platform, and Indiastat was born in February this year.
With 45 people working just towards collecting data and uploading it, the task has not been easy.
This in spite of the secondary data sources being government publications, the Press Information
Bureau of India, parliament debates, Gazette of India, trade publications and various ministries.
"The sourcing, collection and compilation of data is an unending process. With the creation of three
more states, our task has also increased. Even statistical information already filed from government
sources is not easily available to us. While some were cooperative, other cases required us to pay
for the information. Almost all officials were afraid to provide data for a website. However, our source
team has managed it. We are also in the process of finalising deals with some non-government
sources to provide information under certain monetary agreement," says Thukral.
The site is targeted towards academicians, marketing professionals, research scholars,
management students, consultants, educational institutions, e-libraries and corporates, etc. As for
authenticity, Thukral explains, "Every statistical table displays its source and utmost care has been
taken to properly compose and present the tables. We are, at present, compiling the latest
available or released information."
So where’s the money coming in? Well, you can peer all you want, but unlimited access,
downloading, or printing, all comes with a price. A flat Annual Membership Fee, with unlimited
access, costs individuals Rs. 3,000. Institutions are charged Rs.5, 000, and corporates, Rs 6,000.
Non-members can look but cannot click. They are allowed to go through categories and
sub-categories, but the numbers are unavailable till you shell out the dough! Other benefits for
members include a ten per cent discount on the purchase of books that can be chosen from 41,000
titles in over 25 sections at the site’s bookstore. Under the 'Ask for Statistics' facility, any member
can post a query for any India specific secondary level socio-economic data, which the makers will
try their best to source and provide as soon as possible. Members can also join a subject specific
chat which is due to be added soon.
As for the corporate biggies, Thukral claims that they have welcomed the site with open arms.
"They are in dire need of such structured information at one platform. There are many memberships
of big business names that are in their final stages.” The corporates, however, also seem to have
made their demands clear. “They ask us for primary data which we do not provide. For example, in
a query we have been asked to provide ‘The number of affluent farmers having 100 acres of land.’
Another asks for Internet access in the states of India. Such data is not available anywhere, and
can only be sourced through on spot surveys. This inability to provide primary data is our limitation,
but we can refer queries to any Market Research Agency."
What excites Thukral is the feedback. "In a query posted by an international visitor, we were asked
to provide information on the top ten funeral and burial grounds of India. That was interesting. We all
are excited with the reach and utilisation of the site, and people are expecting so much from it.
That’s what keeps us ticking."
Future plans include providing similar sites at state levels, for which the company has already
registered about 130 domains. Plans are also afoot to work on a statistical site for the SAARC
nations. Adds Thukral, "Within the next six months, about ten sites will be launched. The rest will
happen in phases."
Though revenue streams come from usual sources like subscription, advertisements and
e-commerce through the online sale of books, Thukral says, “In a later stage, revenue will also be
generated through the Resource Directory, which will serve as a Yellow Pages.”
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