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LinkedIn strategy to grow faster in a mobile-first nation

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CIOL LinkedIn announces new strategic initiatives aimed at expanding India Reach

LinkedIn has announced three strategic initiatives aimed at expanding its reach in India, company’s second-largest market globally. The new products, all designed and made in India- LinkedIn Placements, LinkedIn Lite and LinkedIn Starter Pack are aimed at “democratizing access to economic opportunity in India,” the company said.

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“India is a vital market for LinkedIn, as we work towards realizing our vision of creating economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. It's already one of the world's most important economies, and continues to experience strong GDP growth. While LinkedIn has grown multiple folds in India since we started operating here 6 years ago, there's so much more we want to do here. We are committed to India and to boosting our ability to deliver value to even more members and be a part of their professional growth journey, by investing and innovating locally," said Akshay Kothari, Country Manager and Head of Product, LinkedIn India.

Mobile experience in India is highly network-driven. Amidst data wars and WiFi speeds it is highly troublesome to upload anything on the phone -related hurdles. Seems like Microsoft wants to tap on to this problem by launching a lite version of Linkedin. Similarly, Facebook and Flipkart both had also launched their lite versions earlier. As per Microsoft claims the LinkedIn Lite version offer 4X load times irrespective of the mobile network or the device.

A lot of people who access LinkedIn on mobile can now be relieved as network won’t cause any problem for its users. LinkedIn Lite version is usually a stripped down version of the mobile app that utilises lesser system resources and has smaller installation size.

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The lite version basically uses only a fraction of the app memory and cellular data usage as of what the original app uses. Which leads to quicker load times, and quicker access even over 2G, considering a lot of people are still on slower networks in India. This move is only going to increase the reach and accessibility by people, who would otherwise avoid such heavy apps. Fast seamless experience, faster load times and data efficiency will ensure that the app is accessible by all.

LinkedIn Placements, the first in the pack whose pilot launch took place November 2015, seeks to provide a “level playing field” for Indian college and university students through the use of a common online assessment test for openings in 35 companies, both local and international.

"Students are the leaders of tomorrow and they hold India's future in their hands. Some of the best talent in India live in our villages, but they have historically not had access to good opportunities. LinkedIn Placements is a game-changer for them, providing them with a unique platform to get country's best jobs," Kothari said.

LinkedIn Starter Pack, meanwhile, aims to connect startups and small and medium-sized businesses in the country to prospective employees.

LinkedIn, which recently opened its largest office in Asia in the Indian city of Bangalore, currently has over 37 million users in India — roughly 10 percent of the its global user base. Looks like Microsoft does not want to take any chance with LinkedIn this time. They have started to work right from the grassroots level.

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