While the population of over a billion people makes India a natural target for business, Google has been pulling all the stops lately to connected the South-Asian country through its services. The “Next Billion” team at Google is behind projects such as the mobile payment app Tez, along with plenty of other popular initiatives across the country. This time around, the company is building a Q&A platform for Indians through the Neighbourly app.
It can be hard finding a good mechanic if you’ve just moved into a new neighborhood, or getting an opinion on which bakery in your area makes the most delicious chocolate cake. But with the Neighbourly app, Google hopes to create a localized guide where users can help each other by asking questions and having them answered. The app even allows you to record your questions in multiple languages and have them answered by the willing contributors in your area.
You could consider this something close to Quora or Yahoo Answers, but it is area-based which makes it a lot more personal. The app is currently available as an unreleased version and still in beta, and only available to use if you’re a resident of Mumbai. The Neighborly app allows you to ask all sorts of questions while still keeping your identity protected, so you’ll never have to hesitate to seek the help of complete strangers.
