Anil Kapoor investing in Indi.com

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor has invested an undisclosed amount in the global video social network Indi.com, which is yet to be launched in India. Kapoor will help the company by leveraging his connections in Bollywood and know-how of the industry and roping in big brands.

Indi.com aims at enabling individuals and companies to create and monetize content through video sharing while integrating multiple social networks. People from any walk of life be it artists, retailers, NGOs, celebrities, and individuals can connect with fans, supporters, and the masses by interacting with them using the video platform.

Indi.com was started in 2012 in South California by e-commerce veterans Neel Grover and Greg Giraudi, both associated with Buy.com, Rakuten.com, and Bluefly.com, and was officially launched across the US in 2013. Neel Grover says, "Our platform is all about engagement and India has over 600 million consumers with smartphones and a large young user base. Given that 4G is going to change the dynamics here, I think it is the right time for us to launch in India."

Grover, who sold his e-commerce venture buy.com to Japanese online retailer Rakuten and headed the latter’s North America business, told BusinessLine: “Indi.com is a marriage between Facebook and YouTube. It is a platform that allows artists, celebrities, NGOs, retailers and pretty much everyone to interact and build a brand of their own.”

Indi.com which is being accessed by people from over 200 countries, is set to be launched in India on April 28th, "Indi is my way of giving back to India and paying forward all the opportunities my country has given me. I believe in the idea of Indi as a way of empowering the next generation of talented individuals to let their voices be heard," Kapoor said.

Grover said he had been in talks with Kapoor for over a year and that at first, he was only planning to back the product as an investor. "It was only later, when we shared the whole plan, Anil also agreed to be the face of Indi.com India. He has also shot a commercial for Indi.com."

The platform will be ad-supported, with channel owners getting 70 percent of the revenue and Indi the remainder. “Apart from advertising, we may also have a premium model for brands and e-commerce in future,” said Indi.com co-founder Neel Grover.

Anil Kapoor is the latest entrant into the list of celebrity investors. Yuvraj Singh, KunalKapoor, SaumyaTandon, Sachin Tendulkar are few other names who have already invested in the tech startups.