A Mumbai train commuter who witnessed an accident earlier this month, turned to his smartphone to ask neighbours how to help a bleeding victim. Responses poured in instantaneously. Take him to the station master at the next stop; ask the ticket collector for first aid; call 138 for emergency help and so on. Not long after, the commuter posted a happy ending: the injured party had received medical attention. This transpired within minutes on Neighbourly, the hyper-local social network unveiled in India this month by Google’s Next Billion Users program. The neighbourhood network -- available in Mumbai and soon to expand to other cities –- lets people share local expertise and crucial information with others in the vicinity. The crowd-sourced recommendations range widely: kitchen cabinet makers, service stations that repair electric scooters, cricket ticket sellers, gardening supplies stores and much more. With almost a half billion Indians now using smartphones, Google sees an opportunity to become a one-stop shop for search, social networking and payments. “After missing the last wave of social, Google is trying to use its platform to become a significant player in these areas,” says New Delhi-based Forrester Research forecast analyst, Satish Meena.
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