Press Release: August 1, 200831, 2008 – Times Internet Limited (TIL), part of India’s largest media house (Times Group), has recently made a strategic investment equivalent to 50% stake in Webnotions Books India Private Ltd. Webnotions has entered India as the largest online book marketplace under the brand www.a1books.co.in.

Webnotions USA was founded in 1995 by Mr. Shinu Gupta. It is based in Netcong, N.J.and has 70 employees. The India branch based in Noida, U.P commenced operations in December 2007.

As part of this investment, the Times Group will create value for A1Books by providing brand support to expand its growing market. A1Books shall make available over a million book titles on TIL’s indiatimes.com and will in turn capitalize on the latter’s huge user base in India. A1Books' online book buyers will benefit from the synergies created by this move, as both companies share a joint vision of making quality books easily accessible.

A1Books brings in its book-focused technology platform where Indian book publishers, distributors, importers and retailers can register and sell their inventory. A1Books has partnerships with leading global distributors and fulfillment services will enable it to sell foreign titles in the country. Customers can simply log on to the website, pick a book of their choice and have it delivered to their doorstep at a reasonable price.

Commenting on this partnership, Chief Executive Officer, TIL, Mr Dinesh Wadhawan says, "At TIL, we aim to partner with companies looking at creating sustainable competitive differentiation through focus on brands and technology. A1Books has a direct consumer-connect business. With their strong technology platform and partnerships with international and Indian publishers, we are sure to gain significant presence in this space which will give both A1Books and TIL a competitive advantage".

According to Shinu Gupta, founder & CEO of A1Books, "India has had a strong untapped need for a marketplace with superior service which offers the best books at reasonable prices. With our technical and business expertise in this area, our highly competent team has built a powerful website with an unbeatable collection of books. However, the most crucial aspect of this venture was to get ourselves in front of the Indian public and make people aware of this great book resource. With the support and resources of Times Group, we can focus on enhancing the customer experience and grow the online book market in India. We are poised to make the leap from being the best-kept secret in the book industry to establishing ourselves as the preferred destination for online book buyers."

A1 not only offers books but also provides book enthusiasts useful content including a host of reviews and features on its website. TIL understands that online marketing is about building relationships which in turn leads to a greater presence in the Internet world. Together the two companies aim to create a unique marketplace that will enable the publishing industry in the country to get closer to the consumer.

Brief on Times Internet Limited
Times Internet Limited, (TIL), is the Internet venture of India’s largest media house - the Times Group. TIL made its foray into the Internet with a mission to create world-class Web products and services. In a short span of time, the company has emerged as India’s foremost Web entity, with diverse portals and niche websites. Over the years TIL has established its presence as India’s most comprehensive Web entity seamlessly integrating content, community and commerce. It is one of the fastest growing web based networks in the world. TIL operates many premier web properties on the Internet, Indiatimes.com is the flagship brand of TIL.

Indiatimes.com is the largest internet portal in India with interests in telecom, e-commerce, online advertisement solutions, events and guru-seminars. Crowned as the youngest ever "Business Superbrand", it is a preferred on-line destination for millions of Indians, who want rich and self-directed online experience. Of all the web properties, Indiatimes is a leading multi-faceted portal and has more than 1 billion page views in a month