Getting Indian athletes to come to the website and use it actively is a challenge that Twitter India Head of Sports Partnerships Aneesh Madani "has taken upon himself," according to Shivani Shinde Nadhe of the Indian BUSINESS STANDARD. Madani said, "India is one of the top 10 markets for us. Since we are a mobile-first company, our goal is to reach every Indian who has a mobile phone. And, I want to make sports a Twittery experience here by getting personalities, broadcasters and sports leagues to join the platform." He said that Twitter will work with Indian sportspersons on two levels -- "those already using the site will be partnered with, to see how they can use the platform better; and those not yet using will be brought on to the platform." In India, Twitter "has so far focused on cricket alone, given the game's popularity" on the subcontinent. It is actively working with the Indian Premier League and Champions League T20, "and recently tied up" with the Board of Control for Cricket in India for India's tour of England. Among broadcasters, "it has worked with Star Sports and Sony Six." With an increase in the use of smartphones, "it has become important for broadcasters and marketers to interact with users and viewers on a regular basis." This "has also opened for social networking platforms avenues to have marketing tie-ups." Asked if it was only cricket that will be Twitter's focus in India, "Madani disagrees." His target "is to take Twitter beyond cricket and have a wider presence across various sports and sportspersons." Madani: "During the FIFA World Cup 2014, tweets with #WorldCup grew 750 percent from the previous edition. During the Commonwealth Games, a host of Indian sportspersons started using Twitter" (BUSINESS STANDARD, 10/7).
