Yahoo acquires stake in Indian tele-information service provider

19 December 2008

News portal and Internet search firm, Yahoo, has acquired up to 30 per cent stake in Chennai-based Call Ezee, a tele-information service provider from its paent to Info Network Management Company (INMAC), for an undisclosed amount.

The acquisition as made through Yahoo's Dutch subsidiary,

Yahoo did not disclose how much it paid for the stake in INMAC but said that it has a revenue-sharing agreement as well as one representation out of the five member board.

Call Ezee, operates a telephone directory search service across 14 cites in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Consumers can call the local Call Ezee number from any mobile or fixed line phones and ask details of any business or firms that offer the product they want as well as offer round the clock helpline for medical emergencies.

Indian businesses can be listed on Call Ezee's directory free, but sales leads are charged on a premium listing or on a "pay for performance" basis.

INMAC, which handles around 10,000 calls per day from consumers and helps two million customers across verticals, intends to upgrade its technology and increase its manpower from the existing 450 plus to 2000 by the year end so as to handle the expanded business by tripling its reach across India.