Slow and steady Gmail, wins the race in India

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Vidhya N

14 October, 2009

According to a survey,Gmail is now India's largest free e-mail service provider. Gmail boasts of having more than 18 million users.

ACCORDING TO a survey by an online audience measurement and analytics provider platform, Vizisense, Google’s free email service, Gmail has left everyone behind and is now India’s largest free e-mail service provider. Gmail boasts of having more than 18 million users till date. Yahoo mail, after being on the top spot until the previous month has made way for gmail and has shifted to the second spot.

Yahoo claimed to have 16.8 million users but had seen its usage dip 8 per cent since August this year. In return, Gmail with is continuous growth of 3 percent since August, ensured that it surpassed yahoo users in early October. Microsoft’s Window’s Live Mail is also witnessing a surge in its user base with an impressive growth rate of 8 per cent in India since August. With 6.25 million users, rediff is placed at number three.

However, it would still take Gmail to dethrone yahoo on the global scale and become the world’s largest e-mail provider. Also Windows Live Mail from Microsoft would be a tough competitor for Gmail.

Recent reports show that Gmail has been growing at a very rapid speed in the US and unless Yahoo and Windows mail do not come up with something new or don’t do anything drastic, Gmail with its current form of engaging and registering more users will surely over come the traditional webmail providers in the years to come.

Prashant Mehta, chief operating officer of Komli Media Pvt. Ltd. the internet ad agency that owns Vizisense said that the popularity of Google over the past few years has created a brand which has extended beyond just search and it is because of this brand that has helped strengthen Gmail’s usage.

Vinay Goel, head of products, Google India said that its features tailored to the needs of Indian users gave it an edge. The launch of Gmail in eight Indian languages was a positive step in this direction.

With a full front page ad a few days back in some of the country’s leading national dailies in India, will yahoo be able to get back its once loyal users who have switched over to Gmail?