Updated: Naukri Launches Professional Networking Site – Brijj


Updated below
(Original post: 2007-08-09 05:36 AM PST) This just in: Info Edge (Naukri.com) has launched a professional networking site, Brijj.com, reports WATBlog. From the About Us page, the mandate of the site seems fairly similar to Linked In – introductions, business opportunities and jobs.

During a recent earnings call, Naukri CEO Sanjeev Bikhchandani had explained their need for a professional networking site: Job sites don’t tap passive candidates, and Bikhchandani believes that a networking site can plug that gap. Naukri.com has a database of over 10 million resumes, and a possible integration with Brijj gives it the opportunity to engage better with those for whom Naukri goes off the radar when they’re not looking for a job.

However, Naukri is not the first Indian company to try the professional networking site. Rediff had launched Connexions as a professional networking site in 2004 (I think)…it never took off. Then there’s also Techtribe, which recently received funding from Canaan Partners; they’re attempting the reverse: a tech networking site trying to make inroads into the tech jobs space with a referral system.

Question is – if you’re already on Linked In, will you migrate to Brijj? I think Linked In’s global footprint will be difficult to compete with for Naukri, since that brings a completely different segment of opportunities.

Update: In response to a critique of Brijj here (crossposted here at the ContentSutra group on Facebook), Bikhchandani comments that they have gone live with the basic feature set that they felt was essential for a start, and there are product enhancements planned. Granular privacy settings are in the pipeline. However, the company does not expect revenue anytime soon from Brijj. He adds that they chose speed to market over building a spectacular product, but taking four to six months more…I’m not sure if that’s the right approach – a lot of this social media game is about first impressions, and if there are teething problems, it just wont take off.

Disclaimer: I have an inconsequential number of shares of Info Edge.

loading

Comments have been disabled for this post