BigAdda among top 25 search engines

BigAdda, the social networking website belonging to the Anil Ambani group, Fropper, a dating site and Indyarocks, an entertainment-based social network, are among the top 25 Indian Internet start-ups ranked for the first time by leading technology magazine Dataquest.

The rankings prepared with the help of Indianweb2.com that tracks Indian start-ups in the technology space, is an interesting mix of social networking sites, tool makers, rating sites, and creators of close-knit online communities and mobile applications.

The final list was prepared from 54 companies that were shortlisted based on a set of parameters like applications that are designed to run on new technologies such as Web 2.0.

The short-listed companies were also judged on more subjective parameters like reach, impact, and innovativeness of offering to create the final list. Web 2.0 refers to a supposed second-generation of Internet-based services such as social networking sites and communication tools that let people collaborate and share information online in ways previously unavailable.

'India has the potential to significantly drive the direction in which web 2.0 is moving. Micro-blogging and video streaming are the future of web 2.0 along with 'niche' networking, be it on a friendship portal or around communities,' said Dataquest editor Shyamanuja Das, who led the project.

'A stronger revenue model and a shift from ad-based framework to an e-commerce based set-up is desirable,' Das added.

Companies which began operations on or before Jan 1, 2007 were considered for the rankings.

Major sites that figure in the list include bharatstudent.com, a networking platform addressing education and career related issues of students; and commonfloor.com, an online community of housing societies and apartments owners and residents popular with several large builders.