Naspers shutters Indian online classifieds in OLX consolidation move

Naspers has dumped its Indian classifieds platform TradusAds in favour of the internationally renowned OLX, the world’s largest free classified site with over 130 million unique visitors per month.

The move appears to be part of an effort on the part of the emerging markets internet and media giant to consolidate its online classified properties. In the latter part of 2012, it scuppered its South African Kalahari classifieds property.

According to Indian online news site Medinama, Naspers’ Indian ecommerce site Tradus.in will continue operating as usual, which would match what happened in South Africa.

Speaking to Medianama, Amarjit Singh Batra, Country Manager (India) and VP of Business Development at OLX said that there were five people in the TradusAds team. At OLX India, “We’re six people currently, and we’re servicing the global setup from India. We are in continuing with the free classifieds, consumer to consumer model, unlike others who have moved to paid classifieds. Out technology is coming from outside, and we’re focusing on marketing activities in India.”

The site also reckons that OLX will be competing against the likes of Quikr, Click.in, Rediff LocalAds, Sulekha, ClickIndia, and HTClassifieds.com.

Naspers took a stake in OLX in August 2010. OLX is used in more than 90 countries and 40 languages. The company was co-founded in March 2006 by millionaire internet entrepreneurs Fabrice Grinda and Alec Oxenford. OLX has more than 150 employees across offices in South Africa, Argentina, USA, Russia, China, Brazil and India.