AOL rolls out English Web site for India

US Internet giant AOL expanded to India with its first portal targeting Asia's growing online population, an Associated Press report said.

The report said although AOL has been dropping its Internet access businesses around the world, it has been making a bigger push at delivering content through free Web sites in hopes of boosting advertising opportunities.

AOL expanded its portal audiences in Europe as part of deals to sell off its access businesses there, the Associated Press report said.


The Indian portal, launched at http://aol.in, is in English, it added.

Although only a small fraction of India's population can speak it, English has become a common language in business and government circles in a country with a slew of spoken tongues, the report said.


The AOL site offers free email accounts, search services powered by minority owner Google, and news and entertainment channels targeting Bollywood, cricket and other areas of interest to India's population, the report further said.