CyberAstro plans to double its revenue with a slew of online offerings

With the start of 2003, CyberAstro, a leading astrology website, which is also a Cybermedia Group company, has launched a slew of products and services for its users. One amongst them is the sale of precious and semi-precious gems on the website.

This is the first of its kind website in the country to sell gems, certified by the Indian Gemological Institute, according to Gautam Mukherjee, VP and CEO, CyberAstro. 

CyberAstro has tied up with gem companies to source the gems. In another two-three months the gold that would be used in embedding these gems would also be hallmarked. This is being done to instill trust in people who buy gems that they are buying genuine products.

Mukherjee added, "We would also add books and CDs to the kitty of items sold on the website". The books would be on subjects like astrology, spirituality, religion, etc. CyberAstro is tying up with vertical specialists' publications in these areas.

Mukherjee predicted a big market for these books due to the non-availability of these books in the open market. 

The CDs would contain mantras, devotional and meditational music. The CD and books also would be packaged along with the personal predictions. Some of these CDs would ill be customized for specific problems or queries of the customers. It would teach the users how to do and the precautions to be taken when they undertake the remedies suggested to them by the astrologers.

Recently CyberAstro had performed two pujas-the Diwali Puja and the Rudram Chamakam Yagna. By the middle of 2003, CyberAstro is planning to take these yagnas to renowned temples and perform them on behalf of
NRIs.

According to Mukherjee another area where CyberAstro is placing its bet is on spiritual tours. The website has a very large database of around 90,000 people from the world over. It is planning to tie up with tour operators and resorts, which would address activities such as yoga, meditation, massage, etc along with spiritual/astrological workshops. The website is planning to launch this service by September or October 2003 and is already in talks with some travel agents and tour operators like Club
Mahindra, etc.

Apart from this, CyberAstro is also starting an interactive service, which allows users interact with his or her astrologer personally and ask questions. 

Talking about the revenue generation model of the website Mukherjee said, "The revenue of CyberAstro are averaging $ 10,000 per month and we are targeting a figure of $ 20,000 per month by the yearend".

Pragati Simlote

(CNS)