“Neighbourly” (spelled with a “u” the way Indians spell it), is a local social network recently rolled out by Google, that aims to answer questions people often have about their immediate surroundings, such as where to find the best tailor or a reliable car repair shop. The app sources its answers from other users, or “neighbours.”
The app works in English and eight Indian languages, and is Google’s latest effort to tap into India’s fast-growing internet. “We are currently focused on expanding the app in India, and don’t have any immediate plans to roll this out to other markets,” a Google India spokesperson said.
There are just over 500 million people online in India, with 900 million yet to get connected, and Google has chosen India to launch several services and features in recent years, including an offline version of YouTube. Earlier this year, it began allowing Indian users to get bank loans through its digital payments app.
