'IndoIndians.com' brings Indians in Indonesia together

An Indian woman planning to visit Indonesia posted a message on the message board of a portal on Jan. 16.

She wrote that it would be her first visit to Indonesia, so she needed more information about traveling to the country.

The first reply was sent on Jan. 24, eight days after the first message was posted. The second reply came on Feb. 8.

Although both replies were a little too late, the senders wished the visiting Indian woman an enjoyable trip. They also recommended some places in Jakarta and Bali for her to visit.

This is an example of communication among Indians across the globe via the Internet, facilitated by www.indoindians.com, a portal for the Indian community in Indonesia.

The website started up in 2000, and now enjoys an average of 30,000 hits per day. About 5,000 people, mostly Indonesians, have registered as users.

Poonam Sagar of PT Infotech Solutions, which runs the website, said that his company wanted to create an interactive website that could be accessed by anyone wishing to know about all things Indian in Indonesia.

The website offers various types of information and help, such as news, associations, astrology, careers, relationships, entertainment, events, festivals, and much more.

Registered users can enjoy other facilities, as well, including a job forum, message board, and flower delivery and ticket booking services.

The site has had a real impact on the quality of communication within the Indian community in Indonesia.

Sagar emphasized that the existence of indoindians.com had bolstered interaction among the Indian community.

"There are various events taking place. People did not know what was happening. With the information from the website, they are now aware and can get to these events," she explained.

She said that the website had strengthened the sense of togetherness among the Indian community. -- JP/Kurniawan Hari