->DaxServer at 10:32, 4 October 2021

2021-10-04T10:32:48Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian Internet technology company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Just Dial
| logo =
| logo_size = 220px
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{plainlist|
*{{NSE|JUSTDIAL}}
*{{BSE|535648}}}}
| ISIN = INE599M01018
| founded = {{start date and age|1996}}
| location = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]]
| location_country = India
| founder = VSS Mani
| industry = {{plainlist|
*[[Local search (Internet)|Local search engine]]
*[[Internet]]}}
| services = [[Local search (Internet)|Local search]]
| key_people = {{unbulleted list
| VSS Mani ([[Managing Director|MD]])([[chief executive officer|CEO]])<ref name="Bloomberg">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=30088893&privcapId=29763167|title=Company Overview of Justdial Limited |website=Bloomberg|date=14 November 2016}}</ref>
| Abhishek Bansal ([[Chief Financial Officer|CFO]])<ref name="NDTVProfit">{{cite news|url=http://profit.ndtv.com/news/interviews/article-just-dial-bets-on-search-plus-service-to-boost-revenues-375978|title=Just Dial bets on search plus service to boost revenues|work=NDTV Profit|date=27 December 2013 |access-date=2 March 2019}}</ref>
}}
| revenue = {{increase}} {{INRConvert|1092.81|c}} (March 2020)<ref name="BSE-India">{{cite web|title=Justdial Corp Information|url=https://www.bseindia.com/stock-share-price/just-dial-ltd/justdial/535648/corp-information/|website=BSE India}}</ref>
| num_employees = 10,984 (June 2020)<ref name="MedianamaJustdialHire">{{cite news|url=http://www.medianama.com/2016/02/223-justdial-sales-team-hire|title=JustDial to hire more than 4,000 people for sales this year|work=Medianama|date=24 February 2016}}</ref>
| area_served = India
| parent = [[Reliance Retail]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.justdial.com}}
}}

'''JustDial''' is an [[India]]n [[internet]] [[technology company]] that provides [[Local search (Internet)|local search]] for different services in India over the phone, website and mobile apps. Founded in 1996 by VSS Mani,<ref name="Bloomberg" /><ref name="EconomicTimes" /><ref name="Forbes">{{Cite news|url=http://forbesindia.com/article/big-bet/just-dial-new-world-new-game-for-vss-mani/38615/1|title=Just Dial: New World, New Game for VSS Mani|work=Forbes India|date=15 September 2014}}</ref> the company is headquartered in [[Mumbai]], India.<ref name="EconomicTimes">{{Cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/vss-mani-the-man-who-dialled-the-right-numbers/articleshow/7925169.cms|title=VSS Mani, the man who dialed the right numbers|work=The Economic Times|date=11 April 2011}}</ref> In addition to its headquarters, Justdial has offices in [[Ahmedabad]], [[Bangalore]], [[Chandigarh]], [[Chennai]], [[Coimbatore]], [[New Delhi]], [[Hyderabad]], [[Jaipur]], [[Kolkata]], and [[Pune]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.justdial.com/cms/contact-us|title=Contact Us - Justdial|website=Justdial}}</ref> In 2020 Justdial had 10,984 employees<ref name="BSE-India" /> and a database of approximately 29.4 million listings and 536,236 active paid campaigns.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/earnings/just-dial-reports-80-improvement-in-ebitda-margin-revenues-up-9-in-third-quarter/articleshow/62609294.cms|title=Just Dial reports 80% improvement in EBITDA margin, revenues up 9% in third quarter|last=Srinivasan|first=Supraja|date=2018|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2018-05-15}}</ref><ref name="BSE-India" /> On 16 July 2021, [[Reliance Retail]] acquired a 66.95% stake in JustDial for ₹3,497 cr.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/reliance-retail-to-acquire-6695-stake-in-justdial-for-rs-3497-cr-301579-2021-07-16|title=JustDial Acquisition|website=Businesstoday.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Just Dial founder Mani sells 21% to Reliance Retail in Rs 1,332 crore block deal|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/just-dial-founder-mani-sells-21-to-reliance-retail/articleshow/84596388.cms|access-date=2021-08-18}}</ref>

==History==
{{missing information|section|1997-2006 and 2008-2011|date=May 2019}}
In 1987, while working for a [[yellow pages]] company,<ref name="EconomicTimes" /> VSS Mani thought of replacing yellow pages with a database of information that users could call to receive current information about local business listings.<ref name="DSIM">{{Cite web|url=http://dsim.in/blog/2015/06/02/how-justdial-became-a-billion-dollar-company/|title=How Justdial became a Billion Dollar Company?|website=Delhi School of Internet Marketing|date=2 June 2015|access-date=4 March 2019}}</ref> To launch his venture, Mani acquired{{when|date=March 2019}}<ref name="BSE-India" /> the Mumbai [[landline]] phone number 2888-8888. After several years of seeking financial backing for his idea, Mani launched Justdial in 1996 with a seed capital of Rs. 50,000, five employees, a few rented computers, and borrowed furniture.<ref name="EconomicTimes" /><ref name=DSIM /><ref>{{Cite web|title=How Justdial founder VSS Mani built the 'Indian Google'|url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/-1652853.html|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Moneycontrol}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Success on call|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/moneytoday/new-business/success-on-call/story/6957.html|access-date=2020-06-30|website=www.businesstoday.in}}</ref>

In 2007 an Internet and mobile app version of the database called Justdial.com was launched.<ref name="OutlookBusiness">{{Cite news |url=http://www.outlookbusiness.com/perspective/is-justdial-late-to-the-app-party-1957|title=Is Justdial late to the app party?|work=Outlook Business |date=23 September 2015}}</ref>

On 20 May 2013 Justdial went public at a price between [[Indian rupees|INR]] 897 and 898.<ref name="NDTVProfitJustdialmodel"/><ref name="BSE-India" /> Of the total 17.5 million shares, 13.5 million of them were offered to the public, while the rest were given to fifteen previous investors at INR 530 per share.<ref name="BSE-India" /> To encourage retail investment, Justdial had promised that they would buy back shares from retail investors at the IPO price if Justdial's share price fell sharply within the first six months.<ref name="NDTVProfitJustdialmodel">{{Cite news|url=http://profit.ndtv.com/news/cheat-sheet/article-justdial-model-similar-to-google-management-322236|title=Justdial model similar to Google: management|date=20 May 2013}}</ref> By the close of the market on the day of the IPO, the majority of new investments had come from [[Institutional investors|foreign institutional investors]]. On 5 August of the next year, Justdial's share price reached a high of INR 1,894.70, subsequently decreasing to the triple digits{{how much|date=March 2019}} in 2015.<ref name="NDTVProfitIPO">{{Cite news|url=http://profit.ndtv.com/news/market/article-the-spectacular-rise-and-fall-of-just-dial-shares-1272396|title=The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Just Dial Shares|date=1 February 2016}}</ref> On 16 July 2021, [[Reliance Retail]] acquired a 66.95% stake in JustDial for ₹3,497 cr.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Realiance acquires Just Dial for $466 million|url=https://www.petrolplaza.com/news/27848|access-date=2021-08-18|website=www.petrolplaza.com|language=EN}}</ref> As per the deal, Reliance Retail will hold 40.95 per cent, and will make an open offer to acquire up to 26 per cent in accordance with takeover regulations.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=Press Trust of India|date=2021-07-26|title=Reliance Retail's open offer for Just Dial shareholders to start on Sep 13|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/reliance-retail-s-open-offer-for-just-dial-shareholders-to-start-on-sep-13-121072601476_1.html|access-date=2021-08-18}}</ref> The deal also mentioned that Justdial will allow Reliance access to the 25-year-old listings company’s merchant database & VSS Mani will continue to lead Justdial as managing director and chief executive.

==Products and services==
Justdial's service is a database of business listings that users can either access by phone or online. The company also operates "Justdial Social", a service that aggregates content from social media websites, TV broadcast, news, and other sources; and "Search Plus Service", a service that manages online transactions via the web and mobile apps.

== Security Flaws ==
On 10 October 2019 [[Indian people|Indian]]-based independent [[Security hacker|security researcher]] [[Ehraz Ahmed]] detected a major [[Exploit (computer security)|security flaw]] in eleadmarket’s Register [[Application programming interface|API]]. The flaw allowed competent [[hacker]]s to log into any eleadmarket account by simply placing the phone number in the username parameter. By doing so, this granted the [[hacker]] access to any person’s Justdial account. This vulnerability puts the user’s personal data at risk, but also compromises the user’s social profile since the hacker could use the system ID generated by exploiting the [[Exploit (computer security)|flaw]] to access the Just Dial Pay account, and post on the user’s social profile.<ref name="Exclusive: eleadmarket security flaw may allow hackers to breach pay accounts of 156 million users">{{cite web |title=Exclusive: eleadmarket security flaw may allow hackers to breach pay accounts of 156 million users |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/exclusive-just-dial-security-flaw-may-allow-hackers-to-breach-pay-accounts-of-156-million-users-4514931.html |website=Money Control |access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="A bug in Indian local search app exposed over 156 million accounts">{{cite web |title=A bug in Indian local search app exposed over 156 million accounts |url=https://thenextweb.com/security/2019/10/10/a-bug-in-indian-local-search-app-exposed-over-156-million-accounts/ |website=The Next Web |access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref>

eleadmarket acknowledged that there was a bug in one of its [[Application programming interface|API]].<ref name="Exclusive: Justdial security flaw may allow hackers to breach pay accounts of 156 million users">{{cite web |title=Exclusive: Justdial security flaw may allow hackers to breach pay accounts of 156 million users |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/exclusive-just-dial-security-flaw-may-allow-hackers-to-breach-pay-accounts-of-156-million-users-4514931.html |website=Money Control |access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="JustDial Accounts Of 15 Crore Users Breached Via Security Flaw; JustDial Says No Financial Loss">{{cite web |title=JustDial Accounts Of 15 Crore Users Breached Via Security Flaw; JustDial Says No Financial Loss |url=https://trak.in/tags/business/2019/10/14/justdial-accounts-of-15-crore-users-breached-via-security-flaw-justdial-says-no-financial-loss/ |website=Trak.in |access-date=1 December 2019}}</ref> There was no loss of any data or financial loss reported.<ref name="Exclusive: Justdial security flaw may allow hackers to breach pay accounts of 156 million users"/><ref name="JustDial Accounts Of 15 Crore Users Breached Via Security Flaw; JustDial Says No Financial Loss"/>

==See also==
* [[Local search (Internet)]]
* [[Local advertising]]
* [[Online advertising]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.justdial.com}}

[[Category:Companies established in 1996]]
[[Category:Internet search engines]]
[[Category:Online companies of India]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the National Stock Exchange of India]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange]]

Justdial - Revision history

->DaxServer at 10:32, 4 October 2021