Financial Times launches mobile apps for India

The Financial Times (FT) has launched its web-based mobile application for India, accelerating reader engagement and building brand loyalty through access to latest Indian and international business news, with a customised homepage.

  

The customisation, according to Financial Times, includes top stories from India and as well as prominence of other popular content, including the beyondbrics blog and business education reports. In addition, the iPad application will feature highlights from the prestigious A-list column, the Alphaville blog, and the recently launched Luxury 360, the FT’s new online hub for creative and commercial coverage of the luxury goods industry.

Rob Grimshaw, managing director of FT.com, while talking exclusively to Campaign India, said, "With rapid economic growth and an increasing number of talented and influential business leaders, India has long been a strategic market for Financial Times."

Grimshaw added, “It  must be some 18 months ago, when we created the India homepage on FT.com and the first time we had our local journalist editing the homepage and effectively giving an Indian window on FT.com. Our page view has grown by more than 50% and subscription base has more than doubled in that period. So we felt that there’s some real momentum. Our aim now is to try and take that on to the mobile because mobile is huge for us and also mobile is big for India. It’s the right time to bring the two things together.”

The two new apps will give users easy and fast access to FT’s news - free access to all stories on the front page exclusively in India; instant updates of content; exclusive subscription offers for readers in India - $49.40 per year through the apps. No download is needed. One has to simply add the website to the homescreen for offline access.

The FT app is currently available in the iOS format for iPhone and iPad, but will become available for the Android platform in a week or two.

Grimshaw said, “We prioritised iOS because in the tablet space, iOS has been very big for us. The iPad is the only show in town. We have done very well in that area. But we also want to have a dual fronted approach, covering both Android and iOS platforms. So what we have done is created an Android version of the app, which essentially features the same content and elements as the iOS has and will be available for Android-based smart phones and tablets. We may then extend beyond that to Windows Mobile, etc.”

The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing essential news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community, the FT has a combined paid print and digital circulation of 592,390 (Deloitte assured, 4 July 2011 to 2 October 2011) and a combined print and online average daily readership of 2.1 million people worldwide (PwC assured, May 2011). FT.com has over 4 million registered users and 250,000 paying digital subscribers. The newspaper, printed at 23 print sites across the globe, has a global print circulation of 344,583 (ABC, September 2011).