If you hate to go hunting for clothes, books and gifts then Rohan Bulchandani is the man for you. No, he is not a personal shopper. Instead he is the brains behind a website -- www.indyshop.com -- that allows you to do all this without moving from your chair. A veritable delight for mouse potatoes.Interestingly, it all began in a far more bookish manner. After graduating from an American University, Rohan had joined his family business to computerise the company and to set up a website for the fastener manufacturing firm. But that was not good enough. "One day my father said to me, `You have put up seven computers and modernised the company but you have still not sold one rivet'."
Which is when Rohan decided to go it alone and started his own company called Annet Communications. Initially he created websites for companies like Knight Frank and the Kailash Picture Company, drawing from his experience in New York where he developed risk-management software for the Banker's Trust.
But soon Rohan foundhimself drawn to e-commerce. His first site was a virtual bookstore, that grew into a mega-store when Rohan found himself deluged with demand. "People would write into the site and ask us where they could find all sorts of things. One person asked us where he could get a carrom board." Today, he has 10,000 people regularly asking for more.
And the 27 year old is only too happy to do more to ensure that information is made available on one's fingertips. Rohan has expanded his company's services to touch-screen kiosks. He, along with Renu Bothra, a fashion specialist who runs her own company Inka Fashion Promotions, have put up their first kiosk at the Fashion Bar & Bistro. "Since fashion designers regularly do shoots and promos they already have information to put up on screen. It is a good way for them to brand build," says Renu.
Already, Annet's first post has information on a host of designers, including Wendell Rodricks and Azeem Khan. Stores from Melange to Beautiful Boulevard are also featured here.Next stop for the touch screens are the Bowling Company and CrossRoads, where they will provide information on the complexes. Rohan seems to have his finger on the Internet.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.