Press Releases

Sulekha.com launches BLOGPRINT, in alliance with Penguin Books India

*Sulekha.com and Penguin to revolutionise blogging in India

New Delhi, August 09, 2007:— Sulekha.com, leading online social networking and local commerce website for Indians worldwide and Penguin Books, the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, today launched the BLOGPRINT contest, for the first time in India. Aimed to promote quality blogging and to spot promising talent among Indians globally, Sulekha.com BLOGPRINT contest, in association with Penguin books, is open to all bloggers registered on Sulekha.com. The contest will run for a period of 6 months, from August 10th, 2007, till January 31st, 2007. Every week starting August 10th, the two best blogs on Sulekha.com will be awarded a cash prize Rs. 10,000/- each. 52 winning blogs will be finalised by the end of the contest based on their originality, quality of penmanship and expressiveness. During the 6 months of the competition, the 52 winners will collectively win cash prizes totalling Rs. 520,000/-.

The 52 winning entries will be evaluated by a jury comprising of luminaries from the literary world. The jury will then shortlist the selected 52 blogs to 25. These 25 top blog entries will be published by Penguin Books. The book is scheduled to hit the stands on July 1st, 2008.

For every 20,000 points collected, the member could redeem gift certificates worth Rupees 1000. It gets even better because with every 20,000 points that gets added, the member gets an additional Rs.1000 as gift certificate.

The online writing contest is the brainchild of Sulekha.com to popularise quality blog content. Commenting on the BLOGPRINT contest Mr. Satya Prabhakar, Founder & CEO, Sulekha.com said, “The idea behind the contest is to encourage quality amateur writers in India. It is a one-off golden opportunity for bloggers, to write online and be able to compete in a contest, which could fructify in their work being published in print, by a publishing giant like Penguin. For us at Sulekha.com, to have the support and partnership from Penguin has been a tremendous boost to the very premise of the BLOGPRINT contest”.

According to Sulekha.com and Penguin Books, the writings can range from anecdotes, short stories, travelogues, commentaries, or anything creative. Mr. Thomas Abraham, CEO and President of Penguin Books India said on the occasion, ‘‘the online medium is fast emerging as the perfect vehicle for talent scouting as well as freewheeling and thought-provoking expression. We’re delighted to partner with Sulekha.com, an online social media pioneer with an amazing reach in India and worldwide, on BLOGPRINT, an initiative that will create an exciting new venue for Indians worldwide to showcase their talent.” “Sulekha, a completely user-generated site, has always stood for quality blogging and has showcased tens of thousands of remarkably bloggers from around the world. This partnership with Penguin, a symbol of quality worldwide, furthers Sulekha’s vision of being the most vibrant and influential platform for Indians worldwide to express and interact. Sulekha attracts more than 3.5 million unique visitors each month from over 50 countries” Mr. Prabhakar further added.

Annually, the BLOGPRINT initiative will be executed in the form of a contest followed by the book launch. Submissions for the BLOGPRINT Contest will be accepted until midnight of every week. There is no limit to the number of articles a contestant may submit. For additional information on the Penguin – Sulekha.com BLOGPRINT initiative please visit www.sulekha.com.

About Sulekha.com

Sulekha.com, a pioneer in the Indian centric online community, is a highly popular member-generated community and social/professional networking hub integrating social media and local commerce services with over 3.5 mn members. Their key services can be categorized into Social Media - Blogs, Groups, Networks, Verticals (News, Movies, Cricket, and Travel) and Local Commerce - Classifieds, Yellow Pages. Sulekha.com has city specific portals covering 25 cities across the world with offices in Austin, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai. For more information, please visit www.sulekha.com.

About Penguin India

Penguin Books India is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent. Headquartered in New Delhi, the company’s commercial activity includes the publishing of its own books in the English language and the distribution of books from overseas publishers including the Penguin Group, Time Warner Books Group UK, Faber & Faber, BBC (adult) Books and Bloomsbury. Founded in 1985, Penguin began publishing in October 1987 with seven titles. Today, the company publishes over 200 titles every year and has an active backlist of over 750 titles. For more information, www.penguinbooksindia.com.

For media queries, please contact,

India

Jude Rajan

Sulekha.com

Mobile: 98401 25055

Ph: 044 - 66789999

Email: juderajan@sulekha.net

Saurabh / Abhash

Hanmer & Partners, Delhi

Tel: 98180 75578 / 98108 67982

Ph: 044 - 66789999

Email: Saurabh@hanmerpr.com

Email: abhash@hanmerpr.com