Our members-first, localized approach helped us cross 50 mn mark: Akshay Kothari, LinkedIn

Professional social networking giant LinkedIn has certainly made the right choices and has treaded the path of success setting many examples in today’s digital era. From providing tips to recruiters & job seekers and facilitating content marketing & integrated communications to helping out with banking & travelling, LinkedIn has become an integral part of the users’ life. 

The tech giant has doubled its India user base in 4 years, crossing the 50 million mark recently. With LinkedIn hitting milestones like these, not only will big names such as Google and Twitter reap the benefits but small businesses and start-ups in every domain will also thrive and attract efficient talent. 

Speaking to exchange4media on this significant landmark, Akshay Kothari, Country Manager, India & Head, Intl Product, LinkedIn, said, “India’s current sentiment has elevated from stable to positive, giving way to a renewed faith in the country’s high growth potential. Our members-first, localized approach has helped us cross the 50 million mark here. We are at the beginning of an exciting journey, as we democratize opportunity for every member of the Indian workforce. As we go ahead, we will continue to focus on students, career starters, and professionals beyond knowledge workers.”

With its focused “localised” approach, LinkedIn not only doubled its user data base in 4 years but is also adding a million users every six weeks or so. The members-first, localised approach is helping LinkedIn to be a more accessible & beneficial platform for users across India.

Talking about the Indian market, Kothari said talent solutions is LinkedIn’s biggest business in the country.

“India is the fastest-growing market outside US to hit the 50 million mark. Our investment in India is now yielding results and we’re seeing re-accelerated growth from a member standpoint. Talent solutions is our biggest business in India, with several firms wanting to use the platform to recruit and learn. Interestingly, the Premium subscription business in India is also one of the fastest growing business lines for us. As we go ahead, we are keen to focus on video, students, and professionals beyond knowledge workers.” 

On being asked about association with PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Skill India’ mission for improving employability of blue-collar workers, Kothari said, “We partnered with IL&FS skills in September 2017 to bridge the education-employment gap. Through this interface, we enable students to create a profile, access learning content & build their network by connecting with classmates, seniors and instructors. With this partnership, 33 million people in Kerala will benefit from knowledge on skills, jobs in demand and migration trends.”

LinkedIn believes that India’s massive blue-collar force can in fact be a game changer for businesses and its economy.

When asked to comment on LinkedIn’s ‘Made in India’ journey and how they managed to connect with professionals or start-ups in low internet connectivity areas, he said, “Our ‘Made in India’ journey began with the launch of lightweight mobile website, followed by the launch of LinkedIn Lite, an android app. Today, more than half of our new members sign up on mobile, and we have observed increased sign- ups from Tier-II and Tier-III cities.” 

“Not only does the mobile website load five times faster but also job applications have quadrupled since its launch in India. The app offers key features such as news feed, jobs, profile, network, messaging, notifications and search. Lite helps the platform become more accessible to the growing population of mobile internet users,” Kothari added.

LinkedIn has also strategized on increasing its editorial presence in India, through original video content series ‘How I got here’ & ‘Second Innings’. These shows bring together industry leaders to share stories and engage in rich conversations inspiring professionals and students. The networking giant also announced the pilot launch of ‘Resume Builder’ for Premium members in India which will help professionals create a visually compelling resume with ease.

As LinkedIn aims to democratize opportunity for every member of the Indian workforce, it makes sure that it stands for all businesses given that today’s millennials seem to be keen on building a machine, instead of being a cog in one.

The Microsoft-owned giant is not only a place for sought-after executives, but also an inexpensive professional tool to market upcoming businesses. Besides benefiting big and small companies, the professional networking giant aggressively recruits college graduates and other bands of professionals across the globe to continue its growth. Also, with LinkedIn crossing the 50 million mark, its SlideShare tool it will be now able to collect more professional data about each person. 

Like LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner once said, “A compassionate approach to work and life is not just a better way to build a team, but it’s a better way to build a company.”

This alone allows LinkedIn to stay connected with us, regardless of the business we are in it for.