The Biz of Coding

Google launches YouTube India

by Ujwal Tickoo on May 8th, 2008

Google has launched in.YouTube.com the India focused site for YouTube. Whats the rationale? YouTube India contains:

All the videos found on www.youtube.com, with an "Indian lens" to the content. This implies:

• On YouTube India's home page you will see videos that Indians are watching now
• Featured videos would be programmed to serve an Indian audience
• Google has also signed up "dozens of local partners who are proud to distribute their content through YouTube."

Further Sakina Arsiwala of YouTube explains in her blog post:

"An Indian version of YouTube allows you to connect with local users like never before –- take a look at the videos being featured on our home page right now and you'll see everything from a non-resident Indian (NRI) family trying to tell folks back home how much they missed their hot cup of morning tea to the merry whistlers from Bangalore to traffic mayhem in Hyderabad."

There is only one thing I didnt like about Sakina's blog post — the immediate association of "magicians" with India. Why India? Magicians are all over the world. Its an oft used belittelling western reference of India as a land of magicians and snake charmers. Maybe others dont mind but it irritates me to no ends. Why are Indians poor — because there are only snake charmers, magicians, and fakirs. Why can't Indians be prosperous — snake charmers, magicians and fakirs….A lot of innane judgements about Indians and their capabilities to lead and win are based on these types of limiting cliches. You get my peeve?

Oh and btw beware: Logging into YouTube with your GMail ID isnt a one click process. Slightly surprising.

POSTED IN: Google