Orkut in Chennai to say ‘Hello’

Social networks should be a happy place, says Orkut. “Despite drastic advancements in smartphones, data plans and bandwidth, increased access to social media has only made us unhappy and lonely. I believe technology should bring us closer, not get in the way,” he explains. 

That’s why the 43-year old is all set to launch his own ‘happy’ social network called Hello. “People are constantly looking for a happy new place, where they can be themselves, get comfortable and still create meaningful and authentic connections. My goal with Hello is to bring the world closer by helping people create new connections around common interests and passions,” he says.

Orkut has added an Indian flavour with sections like ‘Bollywood Fan’, ‘Cricket Fan’ and ‘Spiritualist’. After a beta test in India with 35,000 users, he added content and features based on what Indians want. “We added new content types and enhanced the community experience. We will be adding Indian languages shortly,” he says.

The cheerful technocrat is excited about India’s response to Hello. “The network has been growing incredibly fast since its launch in India. We expect to reach millions of users soon. I am so delighted to continue the tradition of the loving, happy, experience we had on orkut.com. I see hello as its spiritual successor,” he says.

Orkut adds that this is his first time in India. “Our trip, so far, has been phenomenal. I have a lot of friends from India back in California, but it’s such a different experience meeting the locals in person. Everyone has been so welcoming, kind and thoughtful. I really enjoyed the different types of Indian cuisine, the culture and the history of the places I have visited,” he sums up.