UC Browser opens 100m windows for Alibaba in India

BENGALURU: UCWeb, a subsidiary of China's internet giant Alibaba, recently reached the 100-million monthly active user mark in India for its flagship product UC Browser.

The mobile browser, that captures 57% market share in India, will now focus on a content distribution through UC News, a content-aggregation platform by UCWeb.

"With the changing mobile internet landscape, UCWeb has adopted a strategy of becoming a content distribution platform from being a browsing tool by engaging and aggregating entertainment-based content on our platforms - UC Browser and UC News," said Kenny Ye, general manager of overseas business at Alibaba Mobile Business Group.

While most mobile users don't identify with the need of a special mobile browser on their phones, UC Browser, since its launch in India in 2012, has gained popularity , strikingly among the youth.

Ye, who was a speaker at the Global Mobile Internet Conference here, told ET that their recent growth was mainly an outcome of localising the product for Indian market.

"UC Browser works on a data-saving mode, operating even in lower bandwidths and providing decent download speeds. The browser also offers a good range of curated content, based on user's preferences," he said.

Ye also said that going forward the company's focus will be on expanding its content distribution platform. UCWeb recently launched its audience engagement tool, where pe ople interact with followers on UC News and UC Browser. The company plans to use this as a platform for con tent distribution.

The company claims UC Browser reached 420 million monthly active users as of August 2016.

India continues to remain the second-largest market for UCWeb, Ye said.

"Our aim is to fill the gap between user, publisher and content provider. We are using big data and machine learning to understand user's preferences and make the connection between the demand side and the supply side," he said.